Giulia Boetto, Patrice Pomey et André Tchernia (dir.) Batellerie gallo-romaine Pratiques régionales et influences maritimes méditerranéennes Publications du Centre Camille Jullian 2 – Recent research on roman shipfinds from the Netherlands Recherche récente sur les découvertes de navires romains aux Pays-Bas André van Holk DOI: 10.4000/books.pccj.994 Publisher: Publications du Centre Camille Jullian, Éditions Errance Place of publication: Aix-en-Provence Year of publication: 2011 Published on OpenEdition Books: 13 February 2020 Serie: Bibliothèque d’archéologie méditerranéenne et africaine Electronic ISBN: 9782957155781 http://books.openedition.org Printed version Date of publication: 1 November 2011 Electronic reference HOLK, André van. 2 – Recent research on roman shipfinds from the Netherlands In: Batellerie gallo- romaine: Pratiques régionales et influences maritimes méditerranéennes [online]. Aix-en-Provence: Publications du Centre Camille Jullian, 2011 (generated 04 avril 2020). Available on the Internet: <http://books.openedition.org/pccj/994>. ISBN: 9782957155781. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ books.pccj.994. 2 - André van HOLK Recent research on roman shipfinds from the Netherlands Summary In this paper new and old finds of barges and a punt from the Roman Era are discussed. Since 2003 four new wrecks dating from the second to the third century AD were discovered along the limes in the Netherlands. These wrecks have been studied and published in Dutch. As some remarkable information came to light about the provenance of wood (De Meern 1 and 4, Woerden 7), crew composition and live-on-board (De Meern 1), the sequence of construction and the use of the Mediterranean mortice-and-tenon technique to connect the strakes (De Meern 4), a complete new ship type, a punt (De Meern 6), details about propulsion (Woerden 7), new research was started on the barges Zwammerdam 2 and 6 and the barge Woerden 7. This article gives an overview of these new finds and this new research project for a broader audience in English. Keywords Artefactual inventory, barge, crew-composition, dendrochronology, limes, live-on-board, punt, roman, ship-construction, wood-provenance Recherche récente sur les découvertes de navires romains aux Pays-Bas Résumé Cet article présente les nouvelles et anciennes découvertes de barges et d’un punt de l’époque romaine. Depuis 2003, quatre nouvelles épaves, datées du IIe au IIIe s. ap. J.-C., ont été retrouvées le long du limes aux Pays-Bas. Ces épaves ont été étudiées et publiées en néerlandais. Elles ont fourni des informations très intéressantes concernant la provenance du bois (De Meern 1 et 4, Woerden 7), la composition de l’équipage et la vie à bord (De Meern 1), la séquence de construction et l’usage de la technique méditerranéenne par tenon-et-mortaise pour l’assemblage des virures (De Meern 4), un punt, type de navire totalement nouveau (De Meern 6) et des détails sur la propulsion (Woerden 7). Pour ces raisons, de nouvelles recherches ont été entreprises sur les barges Zwammerdam 2 et 6 et Woerden 7. Cet article donne une vue d’ensemble de ces nouvelles découvertes et de ce nouveau projet de recherche afin d’en assurer une meilleure diffusion. Mots clés Mobilier, barge, équipage, dendrochronologie, limes, vie à bord, punt, romain, construction navale, provenance du bois 33 2 - ANDRÉ VAN HOLK Fig. 1. Map showing the limes and the findspots of the Roman wrecks (drawing E. Bolhuis, GIA). 1 = Zwammerdam 2 and 6 (Nigrum Pullum) ; 2 = Woerden 7 (Laurum) ; 3 = De Meern 1 ; 4 = De Meern 4 ; 5 = De Meern 6 34 RECENT RESEARCH ON ROMAN SHIPFINDS FROM THE NETHERLANDS Introduction The hull-form of De Meern 1 is extremely simple: a box-like vessel with for-and-aft swimheads. A striking feature of the hull-form is the extreme L to B ratio of ince 2003 four new wrecks dating to the 9,1: 1. The ship was clearly adapted to narrow waterways second and the third century AD have been (while still carrying as much cargo as possible). found along the limes in the Netherlands. The The bottom of De Meern 1 consists of four wide preliminaryS results of the De Meern 1 excavation have bottom planks, in carvel position. The sides consist of been published in English in the proceedings of the tenth an overlapping strake nailed to the standing part of the ISBSA (van Holk 2006, p. 295-299), while three wrecks L-shaped chine. A narrow wash strake is nailed against (De Meern 1 and 4 and Woerden 7) have been published the side strake. The framing system is regular and in Dutch (Jansma, Morel 2007; de Groot, Morel 2007; consists of double (paired) floor timbers with a floor Blom, Vorst, Vos 2008). The wreck De Meern 6 has been timber knee against the starboard and port side. published as an internal report (Morel, n.d.). To make The presence of spike-plugs is an indication for the these investigations available to a wider audience the use of temporary timbers to keep the bottom planks results are summarized in this paper in English. together, before inserting the frames. The frames are nailed to the strakes from the inside and from the outside. Furthermore, we would like to draw the attention This means that the ship had to be turned over during to new research on the conserved barges 2 and 6 from the building process. Above each seam between the Zwammerdam and the barge Woerden 7. The research planks, a limber hole is cut in the underside of the floors. questions of this project are directed towards the According to Morel (Jansma, Morel 2007, p. 142) these procurement and management of raw material, the were used for ventilating the seams. building sequence and other aspects of the construction, Slanting nails were used to connect the bottom as well as the function and disposal of barges in use on planks for-and-aft, while long nails run through the thin the lower Rhine (see infra). part of the planks to connect the scarfs (fig. 2). This type of fastening could reflect a way of thinking about how a boat should be built. In this case by mortice-and- De Meern 1 tenon (a mental template), which implies that planks are connected through the sides of the planks (van Holk 2006, The De Meern 1 barge was found in 1997 and p. 296). Other interesting details of the construction excavated in 2003. The wreck was found in a side-branch are the T-shaped stern and two ‘beam-cradles’ meant of the River Rhine, the Heldammer stroom, at only six to support a removable beam. On top of the T-shaped meters from the Roman road (fig. 1). Because the vessel stern probably a steering oar was mounted. It is possible was wrecked and not reused or sunken on purpose – that the removable beam supported a temporary deck to as is the case with most of the Dutch wrecks from the stand on while steering the vessel. Another curious detail Roman era – and quickly got covered by sediments, an are the zigzag lines cut into the strakes (both fore-and- extremely rich artefactual inventory was recovered. aft). Were they made to absorb tension in the planking at The building date of the vessel was established the point of the swim-head where bending of the planks by dendrochronological research at 148 AD. The was at a maximum? foundering must have taken place some forty years For propulsion a mast step was cut into the thick later, as could be made up from the composition of the part of one of the floor timbers (the zig-zag lines in the artefactual inventory. But far more interesting was the bow are situated just in front of the mast step). Beside result of the dendrochronological research concerning the mast step two iron braces were mounted through the provenance of the wood. It was a big surprise that which a wedge could be driven to secure the back of the the trees used for building the ship had grown in the mast foot. middle part of the Netherlands. This means that the In the De Meern 1 wreck an extremely well preserved vessel was built in the nearby surroundings. So the inside lining was present. The vessel was divided by hypothesis of Roman ships being built upstream the three partitioning walls in two different living quarters: Rhine is untenable. Dendrochronological analyses led a cabin aft and in front of that a galley. The foremost to some other interesting results. Certain elements of compartment is interpreted as a galley because a roof-tile the ship were built out of the same tree: for example the blackened by fire was found there, while the ceiling also L-shaped chines that form the transition between the showed traces of fire. The galley was only accessible bottom and the sides. The L-shaped chine is a common through the front bulkhead, from the hold. The spatial feature of the Zwammerdam-type barges. separation of these two live-spheres might reflect a 35 2 - ANDRÉ VAN HOLK Fig. 2. Long nail running through scarf between two elements of the L-shaped chine (photo T. Penders, RCE). Fig. 3. Cupboard and box found at a high level in the cabin (photo J.Koch). Fig. 4. Tools from the cabin (photo J.Koch). 36 RECENT RESEARCH ON ROMAN SHIPFINDS FROM THE NETHERLANDS Geomorphology Water and tidal-ats Mud-ats and marine clay Low peat / High peat Brook valleys River valleys River - coastal - and landdunes Cover sands Löss and Loam Bolderclay (also lateral moraine) Old rock NLVeen06 11 5,5 1,1 Native Roman Military Roman Cult site Ship N 03060 kilometres Fig.