CMAC NEWS AND REPORTS 2:2 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

The Cais do Sodré Ship: A 16th-Century Shipwreck on the Tagus River, Lisbon, Portugal

Kotaro Yamafune Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, Texas A&M University

Filipe Castro Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, Texas A&M University

his shipwreck was found in April 1995, at a depth of around 6.5 m, during the excavation for a new T subway station near downtown Lisbon, in Portugal. It has been dated to around 1500, when the city‘s waterfront was 120 m away from the place where it was found. The orientation of a breast hook and the position of part of a whipstaff suggest that the ship‘s pointed north, in the direction of the 16th century sandy beach. Fragments of 37 frames were preserved over an area 24 m long and almost 5 m wide. and ceiling planking were preserved along with two stringers, one apron, part of the , one breast hook, one orlop beam, one maststep buttress, one fragment of a stanchion, and part of a whipstaff (fig. 1). The excavation was entrusted to Instituto Português do Figure 4: Site plan based on 2010 excavation. Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IPPAR) archaeologist Paulo Jorge Rodrigues. The preliminary results of his project were presented at a 1998 conference on Iberian ships held in Lisbon. Two Texas A&M University field schools organized in Lisbon in the summers of 2001 Notes and 2002 resulted in the complete recording of the ship‘s floor timbers at 1:1 and 1:10 scales. In 2002 Paulo Jorge Figure 1: Location. Drawing: F. Castro 1 E. Tracey and T. Tucker, 1979, ―Excavation of the Warwick,‖ Internal Report. Bermuda: Bermuda Maritime Museum. Rodrigues finished his maîtrise at Sorbonne I University – pictures from Google Maps. 2 Ibid. under the supervision of Dr. Eric Rieth. The Texas A&M 3 Jonathan Adams, Personal communication with author. field schools in Lisbon were halted that year, and Paulo – namely Aveiro A, the Pepper Wreck and Arade 1 – the 4 Adams, J., Ships Innovation & Change: Aspects of Carvel Shipbuilding in Northern Europe 1450-1850, Stockholm, Studies Rodrigues‘ poor health and his eventual leave from Instituto central floor timbers of the Cais do Sodré shipwreck have a in Archaeology 24 (Stockholm Marine Archaeology Reports 3, Stockholm, 2003), 123; Adams, Personal communication. Português de Arqueologia (IPA, the institution entrusted number of special characteristics and construction marks 5 J. Auer and A. Firth, ―The ‗Gresham Ship’: an interim report on a 16th-century wreck from Princes Channel, Thames with the conservation and curation of the ship‘s hull engraved that suggest the application of a well-known Estuary,‖ Post-Medieval Archaeology 41:2 (2007): 222–241. remains), slowed the project until it stopped with Paulo‘s construction method, described in contemporary texts. untimely death in November 2008. In March 2010 CMAC These characteristics and marks consisted of: obtained permission to continue Rodrigues‘ work and honor Two spikes inserted in recesses cut on the face of the References his memory by publishing the Cais do Sodré shipwreck. The forward timbers, and fore face of the aft timbers, first phase of CMAC‘s research project consisted of connecting them to the ; organizing, analyzing and publishing the primary data, while Dovetail scarves and three iron spikes in the Adams, J. Personal communication with author. the second phase proposes an interpretation of the original connections of the floor timbers with the first Adams, J. Ships Innovation & Change: Aspects of Carvel Shipbuilding in Northern Europe 1450-1850. Stockholm, Studies in research (fig. 2). futtocks; Archaeology 24. Stockholm Marine Archaeology Reports 3, Stockholm, 2003. This shipwreck is especially interesting because of the A number expressed in Roman numerals, from ―I‖ to Auer, J. and A. Firth. ―The ‗Gresham Ship‘: an interim report on a 16th-century wreck from Princes Channel, Thames construction marks inscribed on its floor timbers. As it ―XVIII‖ in sequence, starting from a central, now— Estuary.‖ Post-Medieval Archaeology 41:2 (2007): 222–241. happens with other Portuguese shipwrecks from this period missing master whose number would be ―0‖; Tracey, E. and T. Tucker. 1979. ―Excavation of the Warwick.‖ Internal Report. Bermuda: Bermuda Maritime Museum.

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step arrangement and whatever bulkheads or other structures contemporary measure (neither dedos, palmos de vara or de remained. The lack of a substantial amount of ballast goa, nor codos castellanos or cantabricos) seem to fit the suggests that it was a derelict, but the depth at which it was model. Further study may allow us to extract more abandoned seems too far away from the low-tide beach line. information from this shipwreck. We have plotted two of the lines defined by the marks on the frames, and got a fair curve, but no clear units of

Figure 3: Tridimensional model of the ship’s frames mounted on a straight keel. Drawing: T. Derryberry.

Acknowledgements

The authors and the team studying this shipwreck – Coral Eginton, Thomas Derryberry, Mauro Bondioli and Mariangela Nicolardi – wish to thank the Portuguese Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR), especially its Divisão de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática (DANS) for their immense help in reconstructing the hull plans, namely DANS‘ Francisco Alves, and his team Pedro Neves de Oliveira, João Coelho, and Miguel Aleluia. This study would have been impossible without them.

Figure 2: Cais do Sodré hull remains. Drawings: F. Castro and K. Yamafune, 2010. References Two vertical lines marking the foot of the floor timber, wreck‘s discovery, and the bulldozer operator did not where it sits on the keel; immediately realize the importance of this find, a number of Alves, Filipe. and E. Rieth. Diving into History: The 15th Century Ship Ria de Aveiro A. Ilhavo: Museu Maritimo de Ilhavo, One or two horizontal lines that may have marked the central frames were destroyed. Fastening holes on the keel 2004. base of the mold from which all floor timbers seem indicate these positions and permitted a reconstruction of Castro, Filipe. “Relatório dos trabalhos de registo arqueográfico das madeiras do navio do Cais do Sodré, Verão de 2001.” On to have been cut; and the total number of frames, as well as the determination of file in IPA/CNANS' library, 2001. One or two vertical marks near the turn of the arc, the in room and space. Castro, Filipe. ―The Cais do Sodré Ship Frames – 2002 Field Season – ShipLab Report 4.‖ On file in IPA/CNANS' library, to the outside of the horizontal line, whose The study of the Cais do Sodré hull and its construction 2002, and in Nautical Archaeological Program Library, Texas A&M University, 2002. significance is not clear at this point. marks has just begun and at this time looks rather puzzling Castro, Filipe. ―Archaeology and Dredges: the Arade River Archaeological Complex.‖ International Journal of Nautical Fore and aft of the 37 central frames, ―V‖ and ―Y-shaped‖ to us (fig. 3). The scantlings seem light for an oceangoing Archaeology 34.1 (2005): 72-83. floor timbers, named enchimentos in Portuguese, were ship. With over 24 m of keel length, the absence of keel Castro, Filipe and Kotaro Yamafune. ―The Cais do Sodré Ship – ShipLab Report 13.‖ On file in IGESPAR/DANS' library, fastened to the keel with a single iron spike, were not scarfs has no known parallels in this type of ship; the 2010, and in Nautical Archaeological Program Library, Texas A&M University, 2010. numbered, and did not have the horizontal and vertical pronounced outward kinks at the bow and frames Loureiro, V. and J. G. Alves. ―The Arade 1 Shipwreck: Preliminary Results of the 2004 and 2005 Field Seasons.‖ marks. However, enchimentos numbers 80, 82, 83, 85, 150 make it difficult to imagine the depth of ; and the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 37.2 (2008): 273-282. and 152 showed evidence of vestigial diagonal lines that presence of a whipstaff suggests a ship with more than one Rodrigues, P. ―Étude de la charpente transversale du navire de Cais do Sodré de la 2ème moitié du XVe siècle/début du may be related to the construction process. Timbers C78 and . XVIe.‖ Thèse de Maîtrise, Université de Paris I - Sorbonne, 2002. C81 had one arm scarfed into their lower section, It is difficult to theorize about the site formation process Rodrigues, P. ―Relatório Preliminar dos trabalhos de desobstrução e registo arqueográfico dos restos do navio encontrado no presumably for lack of suitable ―Y-shaped‖ timbers. because the upper portion of the frames and planking were Cais do Sodré, nas obras do Metropolitano de Lisboa.‖ Lisboa: I.P.P.A.R., 1995. Since archaeologists were not present at the time of the destroyed by the construction equipment, as well as the

21 22 CMAC NEWS AND REPORTS 2:2 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

step arrangement and whatever bulkheads or other structures contemporary measure (neither dedos, palmos de vara or de remained. The lack of a substantial amount of ballast goa, nor codos castellanos or cantabricos) seem to fit the suggests that it was a derelict, but the depth at which it was model. Further study may allow us to extract more abandoned seems too far away from the low-tide beach line. information from this shipwreck. We have plotted two of the lines defined by the marks on the frames, and got a fair curve, but no clear units of

Figure 3: Tridimensional model of the ship’s frames mounted on a straight keel. Drawing: T. Derryberry.

Acknowledgements

The authors and the team studying this shipwreck – Coral Eginton, Thomas Derryberry, Mauro Bondioli and Mariangela Nicolardi – wish to thank the Portuguese Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR), especially its Divisão de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática (DANS) for their immense help in reconstructing the hull plans, namely DANS‘ head Francisco Alves, and his team Pedro Neves de Oliveira, João Coelho, and Miguel Aleluia. This study would have been impossible without them.

Figure 2: Cais do Sodré hull remains. Drawings: F. Castro and K. Yamafune, 2010. References Two vertical lines marking the foot of the floor timber, wreck‘s discovery, and the bulldozer operator did not where it sits on the keel; immediately realize the importance of this find, a number of Alves, Filipe. and E. Rieth. Diving into History: The 15th Century Ship Ria de Aveiro A. Ilhavo: Museu Maritimo de Ilhavo, One or two horizontal lines that may have marked the central frames were destroyed. Fastening holes on the keel 2004. base of the mold from which all floor timbers seem indicate these positions and permitted a reconstruction of Castro, Filipe. “Relatório dos trabalhos de registo arqueográfico das madeiras do navio do Cais do Sodré, Verão de 2001.” On to have been cut; and the total number of frames, as well as the determination of file in IPA/CNANS' library, 2001. One or two vertical marks near the turn of the bilge arc, the in room and space. Castro, Filipe. ―The Cais do Sodré Ship Frames – 2002 Field Season – ShipLab Report 4.‖ On file in IPA/CNANS' library, to the outside of the horizontal line, whose The study of the Cais do Sodré hull and its construction 2002, and in Nautical Archaeological Program Library, Texas A&M University, 2002. significance is not clear at this point. marks has just begun and at this time looks rather puzzling Castro, Filipe. ―Archaeology and Dredges: the Arade River Archaeological Complex.‖ International Journal of Nautical Fore and aft of the 37 central frames, ―V‖ and ―Y-shaped‖ to us (fig. 3). The scantlings seem light for an oceangoing Archaeology 34.1 (2005): 72-83. floor timbers, named enchimentos in Portuguese, were ship. With over 24 m of keel length, the absence of keel Castro, Filipe and Kotaro Yamafune. ―The Cais do Sodré Ship – ShipLab Report 13.‖ On file in IGESPAR/DANS' library, fastened to the keel with a single iron spike, were not scarfs has no known parallels in this type of ship; the 2010, and in Nautical Archaeological Program Library, Texas A&M University, 2010. numbered, and did not have the horizontal and vertical pronounced outward kinks at the bow and stern frames Loureiro, V. and J. G. Alves. ―The Arade 1 Shipwreck: Preliminary Results of the 2004 and 2005 Field Seasons.‖ marks. However, enchimentos numbers 80, 82, 83, 85, 150 make it difficult to imagine the depth of hold; and the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 37.2 (2008): 273-282. and 152 showed evidence of vestigial diagonal lines that presence of a whipstaff suggests a ship with more than one Rodrigues, P. ―Étude de la charpente transversale du navire de Cais do Sodré de la 2ème moitié du XVe siècle/début du may be related to the construction process. Timbers C78 and deck. XVIe.‖ Thèse de Maîtrise, Université de Paris I - Sorbonne, 2002. C81 had one arm scarfed into their lower section, It is difficult to theorize about the site formation process Rodrigues, P. ―Relatório Preliminar dos trabalhos de desobstrução e registo arqueográfico dos restos do navio encontrado no presumably for lack of suitable ―Y-shaped‖ timbers. because the upper portion of the frames and planking were Cais do Sodré, nas obras do Metropolitano de Lisboa.‖ Lisboa: I.P.P.A.R., 1995. Since archaeologists were not present at the time of the destroyed by the construction equipment, as well as the mast

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