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Excavations at Yenikapı in Istanbul, Turkey, related to the Marmaray Project, have unearthed remains of Constantinople's Theodosian Harbour, including 37 Byzantine shipwrecks of 5th- to 11th-century date. Eight of these shipwrecks, six round ships and two of the first long ships, or galleys, to be excavated from the Byzantine period, were studied by archaeologists from the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. These well-preserved shipwrecks are an important new source of information on the maritime commerce of Constantinople and the gradual shift from shell-based to skeleton-based shipbuilding in the Mediterranean during the second half of the first millennium AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvage excavations conducted in the Yenikapı quarter of the historic peninsula of Istanbul by the Istanbul Archaeological Museums 2004-2013 have brought to light the Theodosian Harbour on the Sea of Marmara. In addition to thousands of archaeological artefacts, a total of 37 shipwrecks dating from the 5th to the 11th centuries AD were uncovered, constituting the biggest collection of medieval ships uncovered at a single excavation site. The present article deals with 27 wrecks in the charge of the team from Istanbul University's Department of Conservation of Marine Archaeological Objects, consisting of 23 merchantmen and four galleys. The wrecks are presented with their general characteristics. The preliminary evidence from the Yenikapı wrecks regarding the development from shell-based to skeleton-based philosophy is discussed, and various building phases presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, a well-preserved, c.21 m-long shipwreck, Doel 1, was found upside-down in a silted-up creek near the river Scheldt ( Belgium). An interdisciplinary research project was initiated, including 3 D registration of all timbers, wood species identification, dendrochronology and archaeobotanical analysis of the caulking material. Doel 1, of which 70% is preserved, displays the construction features of a cog. Unseasoned wood was used and dated by dendrochronology to AD 1325/26. Remarkable features include the symmetrical layout of the bottom planks, the atypical arrangement of the frames to the fore, and evidence of partial dissassembly of the ship after intensive use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship 17 is the first of 63 vessels from the submerged city of Thonis-Heracleion in Egypt to have been excavated. The peculiar constructional features of this ship, which dates to the Late Period (722-332 BC), allow us to argue for a previously undocumented type of construction that finds parallels in Herodotus' description of a Nilotic freighter known as a baris (History, 2.96, c.450 BC). The aim of this article is to outline the main characteristics and the possible sequence of construction of Ship 17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Newport Ship is the most substantial late medieval vessel excavated and recovered in Britain in recent years. It was abandoned after extensive salvage, possibly following attempts at repairs to the hull. More than 23 m of the clinker-built ship were recovered, along with significant artefact and environmental assemblages. Finds point to strong Iberian connections during the active life of the ship, which arrived in Newport in the Severn Estuary, after the spring of AD 1468. The dismantling and recovery of the ship has enabled detailed recording using innovative 3 D digital techniques and approaches to hypothetical reconstruction. Publication includes a digital archive hosted by the Archaeological Data Service, a substantial report and this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1980s, the Bulgarian Centre for Underwater Archaeology, led by Dr Kalin Porozhanov, undertook limited work on a post medieval wreck lost off Cape Urdovize, near the town of Kitten. In 2000, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Centre for Underwater Archaeology returned to excavate and record the shipwreck in detail. The largest and arguably most important artefact was the hull itself, as it is the first complete excavation of a Black Sea merchantman, dated to the late 18th or very early 19th century. This paper offers a complete and corrected description of the structure of the vessel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, the remains of a cog, Doel 1, were found in Doel, Belgium. Wood species identification of all ship timbers and smaller elements was performed. European oak was the dominant species, followed by alder that was used for the fairings. In total 150 ring-width series were recorded. The construction date was set at AD 1325/26 and the timbers proved to originate from forests along the rivers Elbe and Weser. For the bottom strakes a strict symmetrical layout was observed. The keel plank was hewn from a trunk with a slightly earlier felling date. Repairs were performed with high-quality boards, some with a southern Baltic provenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tektas, Burnu ship (440-425 BC) sank along a rough and desolate stretch of the Turkish Aegean coast. Archaeological excavation of the shipwreck site by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University resulted in the retrieval of hundreds of small fragments from the ship's wooden hull and its metal fasteners. Recent study of this artefact assemblage suggests that the coastal trader was built with pine planks and made-frames, and assembled by a shell-based construction method. Fasteners include pegged mortise-and-tenon joints and double-clenched copper nails, and the ship may have had laced extremities consistent with other contemporaneous shipwrecks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report recent fieldwork on an early-16th-century wreck in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden. The discovery not only provides new insights into early carvel shipbuilding and its adoption across northern Europe but manifests the changing role of ships and the nature of power and agency in the process of state formation at the dawn of the modern world. © 2012 The Authors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a larger project promoting the development of historical dendrochronology in the Iberian Peninsula, ship-timbers from the Arade 1 wreck (mostly planking and framing elements), stored at the DANS/IGESPAR in Lisbon, were examined. Of these, 52 samples were identified as deciduous oak ( Quercus subg. quercus) and two as chestnut ( Castanea sativa). Of 24 timbers selected for dendrochronological research, 23 could be dated, placing the origin of the wood in western France and the felling of trees between AD 1579 and 1583. Their homogeneity suggests they are part of the original construction, which probably took place shortly after AD 1583. © 2012 The Authors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Ledge Reef Wreck, discovered and excavated in Bermuda, is an example of Iberian shipbuilding that is still little recognized within a broader Atlantic context. In order to better understand this technological model, the hull remains were revisited and studied during the summers of 2007 and 2008. By combining this new data with that from the original publications and previously unavailable material, this paper outlines details of the construction of a small Spanish vessel that sunk on its way from the New World some time at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Warwick was wrecked during a hurricane in Castle Harbour, Bermuda, in 1619, whilst en route to Jamestown, Virginia. Operating as a magazine ship for the Virginia Company, the vessel was carrying supplies, settlers and colonial officials. The Warwick represents not only a suspected late 16th-century all-purpose warship, but also a merchantman that played a fundamental role in supplying the English colonies in North America at the beginning of the 17th century. Although only a small test area of the wreck was surveyed, the preserved starboard side of the vessel revealed significant structural features, shedding new light on the development of English shipbuilding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the interpretation on the wrecks of ships in Po delta area in Italy. The author states that the wrecks discovered depicts an essential aspect on the history of ship construction in Mediterranean area which helps establish the chronological dating and construction mechanism. Several photographs are presented that depicts the different parts of the wrecks being discovered as well as the prevalent ship design during their production.

Defining 15th- and 16th-century Iberian shipbuilding traditions related to European expansion overseas is a difficult task. Scarce documentary evidence and the systematic destruction of Spanish and Portuguese shipwrecks by those with a purely monetary agenda make the task even more complex. In spite of these obstacles, data suggests that a distinctive shipbuilding tradition existed on the Iberian Peninsula. Through careful mining of the documentary and archaeological evidence, the concepts behind lberian ship design can be articulated as well as compared and contrasted to other European shipbuilding traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘Gresham Ship’ was found in Princes Channel by the Port of London Authority in 2003. Investigations culminated in the recovery in 2004 of the remains of a small to medium-sized armed merchant ship built soon after 1574, probably in East Anglia or Essex. The wreck provides archaeological evidence of the documented practice of ‘furring’ (rebuilding a ship to increase its breadth). The cargo included folded iron bars, lead ingots and tin ingots, and amongst the four recovered guns is a rare English early cast-iron saker, marked with the grasshopper motif and initials of Sir Thomas Gresham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Pilodyn survey of the entire Mary Rose hull and selected timbers in storage was undertaken in order to determine the extent of microbial decay of the wood prior to active conservation. This method was adopted for its ease of use and non-destructive nature. Relatively sound timbers had needle penetration values ranging between 10 and 16mm, while maximum penetration of 40mm was only reported for isolated pockets of decay. It was concluded that there was little decay of timbers while in storage, due to the inability of microorganisms to penetrate deeper into the wood, because their physical and nutritional requirements were not met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]