EXTRACTING CULTURAL INFORMATION FROM SHIP TIMBER A Dissertation by PEARCE PAUL CREASMAN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2010 Major Subject: Anthropology Extracting Cultural Information From Ship Timber Copyright 2010 Pearce Paul Creasman EXTRACTING CULTURAL INFORMATION FROM SHIP TIMBER A Dissertation by PEARCE PAUL CREASMAN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Filipe Vieira de Castro Committee Members, Diana Burton Deborah Carlson Suzanne Eckert Samuel Mark Head of Department, Donny L. Hamilton December 2010 Major Subject: Anthropology iii ABSTRACT Extracting Cultural Information from Ship Timber. (December 2010) Pearce Paul Creasman, B.A., University of Maine; M.A., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Filipe Vieira de Castro This dissertation is rooted in one general question: what can the wood from ships reveal about the people and cultures who built them? Shipwrecks are only the last chapter of a complex story, and while the last fifty years of nautical archaeology have rewritten a number of these chapters, much of the information unrelated to a ship’s final voyage remains a mystery. However, portions of that mystery can be exposed by an examination of the timbers. An approach for the cultural investigation of ship timbers is presented and attempts are made to establish the most reliable information possible from the largely unheralded treasures of underwater excavations: timbers. By combining the written record, iconographic record, and the social, economic, and political factors with the archaeological record a more complete analysis of the cultural implications of ship and boat timbers is possible. I test the effectiveness of the approach in three varied case- studies to demonstrate its limits and usefulness: ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, the Mediterranean under Athenian influence, and Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula during the Discoveries. The results of these studies demonstrate how ship timbers can be studied in order to better understand the people who built the vessels. iv DEDICATION To my parents. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have contributed to the successful completion of this work, but it is only appropriate that I begin by acknowledging my chair, Filipe Castro. To say he has been provocative would be an understatement. His interminable support and encouragement throughout my graduate studies deserve more than a simple “thank you.” The remainder of my career will have been influenced by the training and guidance which he has supplied. Filipe kept me grounded but encouraged me to learn more, for which I am most grateful. I hope to be able to provide a good return on his investment. I would like to thank Diana Burton for her warm welcome to a student who somehow showed up on her academic doorstep. I walk away having gained greatly from our conversations, both personally and academically. Some of the most pleasant times over the past five years have been my walks back across campus after having visited her, reflecting on our discussions. Deborah Carlson is owed considerable thanks for helping me transition from “student” to “peer.” I am thankful that she has always, in my opinion, treated me as colleague. Her expectations for this work and frank critiques have forced me to raise the level of rigor in my research. I will always ask “what will make this better?” Perhaps to both our surprise, Suzanne Eckert has helped me in the most practical way. I am extremely grateful for her support, offering herself as a sounding-board, and explaining facets of the once mysterious world of academe. vi Samuel Mark must be acknowledged for taking time to discuss parts of this research, and quite a bit of other research, that was at times confounding. He has shared, explained, and mentored me in my primary area of interest on a level which no one else has. It should especially be noted that it was his advice that has kept me steady and enticed me to submit to the highest quality journals, despite the excruciating lag. I must also acknowledge the contributions of my unofficial committee members: Francisco Contente Domingues. He has proved a phenomenal source of historical information. Steve Smith’s substitution at the defense made this possible, and Richard Furuta’s willingness to substitute put my mind at ease during an uneasy time. The contributions of Donny Hamilton cannot go unmentioned. He has been a guide to whom I was never embarrassed to say “please help.” On several occasions he steered me in the right direction but let me figure out the rest. This was and is invaluable. Noreen Doyle has been a great sounding board for the ideas presented in this dissertation, and elsewhere. Her keen mind and sharp pen have improved my work. I would be remiss if I did not thank Lord Falcon and Dutchess Bella for their most welcome distractions that permit me to keep this and all my work in perspective. I must thank my parents, Clinton and Kay M. Creasman for too many things to mention, but mostly for a lifetime of encouragement. With their support, no obstacle has proven insurmountable. I can only hope to equal their roles when I have my own family. Finally, I have to thank Isabel Manzano. She has endured more than I should have asked of her, especially in the past year, and has not wavered. She is the foundation on which I will build the rest of my life, and I have no doubts that foundation is solid. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 II LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................... 11 Regional and Topical Analyses ...................................................... 17 Summary ........................................................................................ 39 III METHODS OF ANALYSIS ................................................................ 40 Common Methods .......................................................................... 41 Uncommon Methods ...................................................................... 55 Emerging Methods ......................................................................... 70 IV ANCIENT EGYPT’S MIDDLE KINGDOM ...................................... 78 Social, Political, and Economic Circumstances ............................. 78 Ship Timber .................................................................................... 84 Summary ........................................................................................ 102 V THE MEDITERRANEAN UNDER ATHENIAN INFLUENCE ....... 104 Social, Political, and Economic Circumstances ............................. 104 Ship Timber .................................................................................... 116 Summary ........................................................................................ 125 viii CHAPTER Page VI PORTUGAL AND THE IBERIAN PENINSULA DURING THE DISCOVERIES .................................................................................... 127 Social, Political, and Economic Circumstances ............................. 127 Ship Timber .................................................................................... 134 Summary ........................................................................................ 150 VII CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................ 152 Guide for the Cultural Investigation of Ship Timber ..................... 152 Summary ........................................................................................ 158 WORKS CITED ........................................................................................................ 160 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................... 194 VITA ......................................................................................................................... 214 ix LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1 Basic shape of a ship’s hull (bow at right), in raw timber ......................... 1 2 French Mediterranean shipwreck chronologies ......................................... 19 3 Examples of training live timber from an Italian manuscript dated 1754 .. 22 4 Timber for ships from early 19th century France........................................ 23 5 Aegean Dendrochronology Project progress to date .................................. 27 6 Yenikapı, Turkey. Exposed harbor works and tents covering ships .......... 28 7 Wood splitting techniques from the Skuldelev ships ................................