Research Project

Merchant shipping: vessels and cargoes

Summary

The project focuses on ancient ship finds with preserved cargo (e.g. foodstuffs, ingots, scrap metal, building materials, household goods, luxury goods) or packaging materials (amphorae, dolia), often from known regions of origin and sometimes with transport destinations that can be inferred. Their investigation offers clues to the quality and geographical extent of the flow of goods, indirectly of the sales markets. In this context, the ship as a logistically used means of transport is of particular importance: its characteristics, its manner of use and nautical conditions define the processes of seaborne trade.

The project contributes to the understanding of maritime economy in antiquity, focusing on the consideration of the vessels used. Six central questions arise:

  1. What do the disproportionately large cargoes found in the archaeological sources tell us about the size, type and construction of a freighter?
  2. Which chartering methods were chosen and why?
  3. What are the consequences of the derived parameters for nautical handling and cargo transhipment in ports?
  4. To what extent do routes and areas emerge whose natural conditions influenced the naval and navigational concept of ancient transport companies?
  5. What travel times can be expected?
  6. Can statements be made about economic efficiency and risk management?

The aims of the project are to work out categories of ancient freighters relevant to their use according to their size, type and equipment as well as to define criteria for the logistical service portfolio of ancient maritime trade. The source material that can be analysed is diverse (written and archaeological records), but limited in quantity and quality in some areas (vessel remains). The volumetric assessment of individual freight categories defines the minimum displacement of vessels used. Egyptian obelisks shipped to Rome as well as sunken stone loads, bulk goods in the form of their packaging and metals as pure primary cargoes are recorded volumetrically, as are masses to be considered as by-loads or parcotillas (pottery, chemicals, animal products and live plants). Wherever possible, technical and typological examinations of ships associated with a particular finding are carried out as well as the assessment of its navigational environment. The type and quantity of each transport item are questioned as to their consequences for chartering processes and for their handling in the harbour.

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Contact

Dr. Ronald Bockius
+49 6131 8885-321
Kontakt

Team

Dr. Ronald Bockius
PD Dr. Thomas Schmidts
Peter Werther
JProf. Dr. Pascal Warnking
Prof. Dr. Christoph Schäfer

  • R. Bockius, Repräsentatives Format und Ausstattung antiker Wasserfahrzeuge. In: M. Koçak, Th. Schmidts, M. M. Vučetić (Hrsg.), Häfen als Orte der Repräsentation in Antike und Mittelalter. RGZM-Tagungen 43 (= Interdisziplinäre Forschungen zu den Häfen von der Römischen Kaiserzeit bis zum Mittelalter in Europa 8) (Mainz 2020) 119-134.
  • R. Bockius, Technologische Aspekte vor- und frühgeschichtlichen Schiffbaus im Mittelmeerraum und in Nordwesteuropa. Jahrb. Schiffbautechn. Ges. 98, 2004 (2006), 191-197.
  • R. Bockius, Ladetechnik und Stauerei in der antiken Binnen- und Seeschiffahrt. In: H.-J. Braun (Hrsg.), Seetransport in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Vorträge der Jahrestagung der Georg-Agricola-Gesellschaft 2004 in Bremerhaven. Die Technikgeschichte als Vorbild moderner Technik (Schr.-R. Georg-Agricola-Ges. z. Förderung d. Gesch. d. Naturwiss. U. d. Technik e.V.) 30 (Freiberg 2005) 41-56.

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