The ship timbers from the Islamic site of al-Balid : a case study of sewn-plank technology in the Indian Ocean

The sewn-plank ships that sailed the Indian Ocean during the medieval Islamic period (10th-15th centuries) carried people, goods, and ideas between East Africa, Arabia, India, and China. Yet, despite the crucial role such vessels played in the history of this remarkably disparate and expansive region, we know relatively little about them. To date, the archaeological work related to sewn boats in the region has been relatively limited, while the few textual references to sewn-plank vessels generally lack crucial details regarding their design, structure, and operation. Thus, archaeological evidence such as the ship timbers recently discovered at al-Balid, southern Oman, provides us with an invaluable opportunity to deepen our understanding of these watercraft and the material culture they represent. In this thesis, I undertake the most comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis of Islamic era sewn-boat technology in the Indian Ocean to date, with a particular emphasis on the sewn-planks of al-Balid This study provides a technical analysis of the al-Balid timbers in a comparative context. First, the pieces are examined from a material perspective by analyzing the technical details of each plank and identifying their material composition. Second, the timbers are then compared with extant textual, iconographic, ethnographic, archaeological, and experimental archaeological evidence. Finally, this study contextualizes the al-Balid timbers within the broader material networks in the Indian Ocean during the medieval Islamic period. In doing so, it increases our knowledge of Indian Ocean maritime technology and of the people who built these historically important vessels.