Classical Studies 2700B

Transportation

[Note: on Tuesday, 30^th March, I shall return the in-class essays written last Tuesday, 23^rd March, and also, of course, the projects submitted on the same date. While I shall bring the essays to class, both essays and projects may be picked up from my office (TC 429) on Tuesday from about 8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. and after class from 10:30 to 2:00 p.m. I shall not give out marks for either the in-class essays or the projects by e-mail, since I want people to pick up their work and take it away with them. Basically, I need to get the office cleared! CLM]

(For today’s class, please review the material in Chapters 6 and 7 in the Landels text, excluding pp. 166-169; but read also pp. 219-224 and the comments on Chapter 6 on pp. 227 and 231.)

Land transportation: little to add to what was said about the movement of large blocks of stone in earlier lectures on construction techniques. The Landels chapter 7 is good, except for the discussion of the harnesses of equids ( = “equines”, pp. 173-177). Problem of the erroneous conclusions of Richard Lefebvre des Noëttes. Easiest “fix” is a brief consultation of the work of “Dr. Judith A. Weller” (Google this in quotes): the crucial points are quite simple; and the conclusion is that the ancients were not seriously stupid on this subject. Two other main points to note: “efficiency” of animals in terms of food processing and energy available; question of “lubrication” of wheel bearings in antiquity.

Sea transportation: only the ancient Mediterranean will be considered. Egyptians had large sea-going ships from Pre-Dynastic period; note that these ships had “trusses” to prevent hogging. Most interesting evidence for sea-borne trade in the Bronze Age comes from S. coast of Turkey, the “Ulu Burun wreck”; in fact, the oldest wreck yet discovered. Its excavation by team, led by George Bass, from Texas A.& M. University began in 1984 (major feature in National Geographic for December, 1987); ship was 50 feet long; packed with cargo, including 6 tons of copper ingots; 100 amphorae of resin used in perfume manufacture, Egyptian ebony; sundry pottery; a gold scarab with name of Nefertiti; blue glass ingots; and the oldest known diptych. This ship was heading west on a circular trade route; it was probably of Canaanite origin.

No sign of anything like a “warship” until period of revival (=Archaic period) in Greece. Problem of piracy and practice of ramming and boarding merchant ships. Development of purpose-built warships: the “pentekonter” (with 25 oarsmen on each side); then bireme (two levels of rowers) and by c. 500 BC the trieres (trireme), with three levels (31 on top level, then 27 and 27 on bottom two levels, on each side)—very tightly packed: why? Importance of this ship in Greek history. The reconstruction of one in 1980s (slides).

Problem of how to “deal” with a trireme. Solution was to have larger, if not faster, ships. So, development in 4^th century and later of “4”s and “5”s, etc.; but note that more than three levels of oarsmen is impossible. Why was a system with several men to an oar developed? Ships gradually became larger, wider—and slow.

Beginnings of Roman navy in 250s BC; invention of the corvus; good idea, but serious drawbacks; so, Romans too went over to large, slow platforms for catapults. By 30s BC Marcus Agrippa’s “tractor beam” (harpax).

Merchant ships: so-called “round ships” (length to breadth ratio 3:1, compared to “long ships”, with 7:1 ratio); importance of “Kyrenia wreck” c. 300 BC; it too has been reconstructed. Other, larger freighters with rising capacities, all the way to the Roman super grain carriers (example, in text book, of the Isis, with cargo-carrying capacity of c.1,200 to 1,300 tons).