What did 1st Century Mediterranean ships look like?

This period is far out of my field. My impression is that the general answer to the question is - nobody really knows. As I understand it, the generally accepted image of a Roman "round ship" - a fat, bluff-bowed vessel with a sternpost sweeping up over the raised afterdeck in the form of a "tail" - probably would not be too far off.

The Crabtree Collection, at the Mariners' Museum (where I used to work), includes a Roman merchant ship. I believe Crabtree intended it to represent the ship in the St. Paul story; I think it may have a figure representing St. Paul on it, as a matter of fact. (I'm not sure about that one. Maybe RonMariner can help us out.) Take everything historical about the Crabtree models with a huge grain of salt, though. Lots of research has been done in the more than fifty years since he built the last of his models - and he wasn't really much of a researcher to begin with.

If I wanted to read up on this subject the place I'd start would be the relevant volumes in the Conway's History of the Ship series. This particular topic would be covered in the volume titled The Age of the Galley. By the way, that series has just started appearing in a paperback edition - at about half the original price. All twelve volumes would be fine acquisitions for anybody starting a library on the history of nautical technology.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

A little detail note: I've seen at least one picture of a Roman merchant ship in the past and it had a swan fixture on the deck (on the stern I believe). Just neck and head. It might not have had oars.

Dave

Dr. Tilley is pretty much on target with "nobody really knows" but the round ship (Ponto) is the best bet. Also called "Corbita" for the basket (corbis) at the masthead signifying the transportation of cargo (grain) as well as passengers (St. Paul). Crabtree's interpretation of a first century (50 AD) ship comes from relief carvings at Pompeii but it is not considered accurate today especially with respect to the stem ornamentation. Typically the ship's stem would rise above the prow and be relief-carved on its flats (port and starboard surfaces) with a figure (Castor and Pollux?). Crabtree shows a three-dimensional figurehead under the foremast. Not likely. The foremast, incidentally, would be severely raked and resemble a bowsprit but actually carries the yard for a foresail called an "artemon". Steering oars astern are common. Oars or sweeps for propulsion, not common in a round ship. Possibly a raffee topsail (supurnum) filling the triangular spaces above the yard outlined by the lifts. A poop deckhouse might be common. The swan or goose neck and head at the stern is common and is the last vestige of this ornamentation (left over from the reed boats which had their bundles of reed tied and swept forward). Crabtree did, indeed, include the figure of St. Paul on the half-deck to place the ship in time. But the ship is painted BLUE! Seems the only folk who took the trouble to paint their ships blue at this period (they were called the "great black ships" because once they were sealed with tar and pitch it was neither necessary nor cost-effective to paint them) were the pirates. They did so as a means of disguise against the blue of the sea and sky. Two ships were built at Lago de Nemi (Lake Nemi) in the Alban hills of Rome sometime between 60 and 160 AD. Possibly built by Caligula, they were brought up when the lake was drained during Mussolini's time and, as restored as they could be, placed in a museum in Italy. The museum burned in 1942 and the new facility holds models of the "Nemi Ships". The originals were burned beyond any attempts to carbon date when that became available. Dendrochronology did not serve us well here, either. You might also try looking up the writings of Lucien or Herodotus, contemporary with the period you're studying. Anyway, it would be centuries before real plans and drafts exist so anecdotal evidence and conjecture are all we have outside the remains of 2000-year old ships and carvings in stone so who would challenge your interpretation anyway? Get it close and you'll be fine. Incidentally, shrouds are fine but they are secured to inboard deadeyes, no channels yet. Glass can be included in the main deckhouse at the waist, thanks to the Phoenicians.
Best,
Ron

The ship in question is thought to be that of a grain ship. This ship was the equivalent to today’s bulk carrier in that its primary purpose was to carry grain and other bulk goods. However, it also was known to be a passenger and troopship as well. The ship in the Crabtree collection is a smaller version of what Paul's ship may have been (about 70 tons). I also have read that his ship depicts that of a Roman military supply ship designed to carry troops and supplies.

These ships are thought to be the largest of this time of about 200 tons and maybe averaged about 100' long. They are thought not to be crewed no more than a few men based on how these ships were rigged. They were powered by a large mainsail and two steerage tillers. The mainsail had brails and braces rigged to the stern so that the helmsman could have both steerage and sail control. Some ships are thought to maybe have had a foresail on a jury mast (hence as described in Paul's text) and a topsail and spritsails for better maneuverability in shallow water. No ores were used in powering the ship; however, again, it seems logical that they may have used sweeps for maneuvering such a large, bulky ship in tight anchorages.

Far as the painting and figureheads. This can be anyone’s guess. Many say the ships were never painted, some evidence shows that were plated in lead sheets below the gunwale to protect against worms. Since these ships were used in so many different ports of different cultural influences, it would be better to understand the local traditions and customs of decor of architecture of where the ship was used, and then depict the ship with that decor.

I have been on a Lutheran research committee for several years that is writing a series of books about the Apostles. My part has been doing the maritime research in order to construct a grain ship for the book.

One book that I had just acquired and would like to suggest is Shelly Wachmann’s “Seagoing Ships & Seamanship in the Bronze Age Levant.” This book, unlike most that deal primary with the military ships, goes into detail of all the different cultures that influenced the design of the ships, as well as daily life and seafaring customs on these ancient merchant ships.


Scott

Thank you all for the excellent responses!

Scott and Dr. Tilley, thanks for the book recommendations. I'll see if my local community or university libraries can find them.

Naturally, the next question is whether there are any ship kits of the type. I suspect that if there were, you guys would have mentioned it in your posts already.

Scott, what do you mean when you mention a jury foremast. Would that be a temporary one?

Thanks again, guys.

Regards,

In regards to the foremast, and why it has been referenced a jury.
Wachman, and also scholars at the University of Ilinois, claim that evidence of the foremast may have been removeable and adjustable. Hence why some references do not have it, or have it shown at different angles of rake.

I just checked the ModelExpo website, which is, to my knowledge, the most comprehensive listing of wood ship kits conveniently available. It shows no Roman merchant ship. The only ancient vessels on it, in fact, are an Egyptian one and a couple of galleys. I'd be leery of any of those; they're made by those European plank-on-bulkhead companies whose products generally amount to hideously-overpriced junk. In any case, I'd hesitate to buy any Greek or Roman galley kit (or plans) that originated more than ten years ago or thereabouts. The recent full-scale Greek trireme reconstruction has caused experts on ancient galleys to revise their thinking pretty heavily.

A troll through my senile memory banks yields a recollection of one plastic Roman merchant ship kit. Many years ago Pyro made a series of plastic sailing ship kits that were about six inches long and sold for 50 cents each. One of them was a Roman merchantman, complete, if I remember right, with swan head on the afterdeck. It had injection-molded plastic sails, and hardly deserved to be taken seriously as a scale model. That's the only one I can remember.

In mentioning basic books on the subject I also should have mentioned The Ancient Mariners, the relevant volume in the Time-Life Books series The Seafarers. Like the other books in that series it's beautifully illustrated and generally reliable - though again it was published too long ago to take account of the trireme replica.

I remember having had an old Airfix magazine (from around '78 or '79) where it was described how to scratchbuild one of those ships using thermaforming. In the weekend I'll go up the attick to look if I can find it again.
I'm pretty sure I still had it last year so I don't think I got rid of it.

This is a website for Mediterranean shipwreck excavations. Some good material.
http://www.abc.se/~m10354/uwa/wrekmed1.htm

I have somewhere in my pile of books and papers some references of grain ship builds. I'm still looking since one models was a recent build but I cannot find my link to it.

Scott

µSorry I wasn't able to locate the Airfix magazine with the article

Dan,

Thanks for looking.

Regards,

I found this at Dry Dock Model page.

http://gallery.drydockmodels.com/romanmerchant

Jake,

Thanks for that link!

Regards,

Jake,

Thanks for that link!

Regards,