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Warships of the First Punic War: an Archaeological Investigation

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Warships of the First Punic War: an Archaeological Investigation WARSHIPS OF THE FIRST PUNIC WAR: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION AND CONTRIBUTORY RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EGADI 10 WARSHIP FROM THE BATTLE OF THE EGADI ISLANDS (241 B.C.) by Mateusz Polakowski April, 2016 Director of Thesis: Dr. David J. Stewart Major Department: Program in Maritime Studies of the Department of History Oared warships dominated the Mediterranean from the Bronze Age down to the development of cannon. Purpose-built warships were specifically designed to withstand the stresses of ramming tactics and high intensity impacts. Propelled by the oars of skilled rowing crews, squadrons of these ships could work in unison to outmaneuver and attack enemy ships. In 241 B.C. off the northwestern coast of Sicily, a Roman fleet of fast ramming warships intercepted a Carthaginian warship convoy attempting to relieve Hamilcar Barca’s besieged troops atop Mount Eryx (modern day Erice). The ensuing naval battle led to the ultimate defeat of the Carthaginian forces and an end to the First Punic War (264–241 B.C.). Over the course of the past 12 years, the Egadi Islands Archaeological Site has been under investigation producing new insights into the warships that once patrolled the wine dark sea. The ongoing archaeological investigation has located Carthaginian helmets, hundreds of amphora, and 11 rams that sank during the course of the battle. This research uses the recovered Egadi 10 ram to attempt a conjectural reconstruction of a warship that took part in the battle. It analyzes historical accounts of naval engagements during the First Punic War in order to produce a narrative of warship innovation throughout the course of the war. It employs experimental three-dimensional reconstructions in the Rhinoceros and Orca 3D software based on archaeological evidence in order to determine basic hull dimensions and fundamental characteristics of the Egadi 10 warship’s design. Finally, it compares the resulting reconstruction to Polybius’ accounts of the warships that sank at the site. WARSHIPS OF THE FIRST PUNIC WAR: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION AND CONTRIBUTORY RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EGADI 10 WARSHIP FROM THE BATTLE OF THE EGADI ISLANDS (241 B.C.) A Thesis Presented To the Faculty of the Program in Maritime Studies of the Department of History East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Maritime Studies by Mateusz Polakowski April, 2016 © Mateusz Polakowski, 2016 WARSHIPS OF THE FIRST PUNIC WAR: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION AND CONTRIBUTORY RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EGADI 10 WARSHIP FROM THE BATTLE OF THE EGADI ISLANDS (241 B.C.) By Mateusz Polakowski APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ______________________________________________________________________ (David J. Stewart, Ph.D.) COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________________ (Bradley Rodgers, Ph.D.) COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ (Wade Dudley, Ph.D.) COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ (Jeffrey G. Royal, Ph.D.) CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: _________________________________________________________________ (Christopher Oakley, Ph.D.) DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: _________________________________________________________ (Paul J.Gemperline, Ph.D.) Acknowledgements I would first like to thank Dr. David Stewart for directing this thesis and introducing me to the intricate art of ship reconstruction and Mediterranean shipbuilding, without whom this thesis would have not been possible. I would also like to thank the RPM Nautical Foundation and George R. Robb Jr., without their support this research would not have been possible, and Dr. Jeffrey Royal for guiding me through my fieldwork, assisting in my research, and for the lengthy debates about mid-3rd century warships. I hope that my contribution to his t-shirt collection will begin to repay some of my debt to him. I would also like to thank my mother, Joanna, who provided both financial and emotional support during my time at ECU and has been an everlasting source of encouragement. I would like to thank all the friends and colleagues that have made the past three years one of the most fulfilling educational experiences, especially Thomas Lacey for providing edits and helping me work through some of the more complicated components of ship reconstruction. Lastly, I would like to thank the countless metal bands that kept me company during my long, sometimes dark, hours of writing. Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 3 Evidence of the Oared Warship .................................................................................................. 4 Ramming Warfare ....................................................................................................................... 6 Ship Reconstruction Theory ....................................................................................................... 8 Capital versus Contributory Reconstruction ........................................................................... 9 The Egadi 10 Warship as Material Culture............................................................................... 10 Purpose .................................................................................................................................. 11 Technology ........................................................................................................................... 12 Tradition ................................................................................................................................ 14 Economy ............................................................................................................................... 15 Materials and Environment ................................................................................................... 16 Thesis Outline ........................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: Historical Analysis of the First Punic War ................................................................. 18 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 18 Roman Naval Experience Prior to the War ............................................................................... 19 Naval Actions During the First Punic War ............................................................................... 20 The Battle of Mylea (260 B.C.) ............................................................................................ 22 Sulci (258 B.C.) .................................................................................................................... 22 Tyndaris (257 B.C.) .............................................................................................................. 23 The Battle of Economus (256 B.C.)...................................................................................... 23 The Battle of Hermaeum (255 B.C.) ..................................................................................... 24 Wrecking Events and Raiding the Libyan Coast (255–253 B.C.) ........................................ 24 The Siege of Lilybaeum (250 B.C.) ...................................................................................... 25 The Battle of Drepana (249 B.C.) ......................................................................................... 25 Hamilcar Barca Raids the Italian Coast (247–242 B.C.) ...................................................... 26 The Battle of the Egadi Islands (241 B.C.) ........................................................................... 26 Polybius, The Historian ............................................................................................................ 27 Diodorus, The Sicilian .............................................................................................................. 31 Discussion of Historical Evidence ............................................................................................ 33 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 37 Chapter 3: Fieldwork and Raw Data ............................................................................................. 39 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 39 Historical Research ................................................................................................................... 39 Overview of the Egadi Islands Archaeological Project ............................................................ 39 Equipment ................................................................................................................................. 41 Survey and Discovery of the Egadi 10 Ram ............................................................................
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