Comparative Analysis of Lifting from On-Site and Conservation of the Yenikapı Shipwrecks

The important commercial center of Constantinople’s Theodosian Harbor was brought to light during the Yenikapı excavations carried out by the Istanbul Archaeological Museums for nine years, starting in 2004. Hundreds of thousands of archaeological finds and the remains of thirty-seven ships sunk in different centuries were discovered at the harbor site. Upon the invitation of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Istanbul University undertook the removal, documentation, and construction technology studies of twenty-seven shipwrecks and the conservation work of 31 shipwrecks. Shipwrecks were documented in situ and removed from the site using various methods appropriate to their preserved conditions. Post-excavation documentation, technology research, and conservation procedures of the Yenikapı shipwrecks continue today. This article aims to present a collective evaluation of the lifting and conservation methodology of shipwrecks carried out by the Division of Conservation of Marine Archaeological Objects of Istanbul University. In this context, the relationship between removing ship remains from the excavation site and conservation practices has been analyzed comparatively by referring to display styles

Shipwrecks at the Theodosian Harbour

Under the "Istanbul University Byzantine Shipwrecks of Yenikapı Project" carried out at Istanbul-Yenikapı (Turkey) on behalf of the Department of Conservation and Restoration, our team has undertaken the recording and dismantling of twenty four shipwrecks as well as the conservation-restoration and reconstruction projects of twenty eight shipwrecks in total. The first stage of the project is documentation and drawing. The planning, longitudinal and transversely cross sectional drawings and documentation works were carried out by a specialized team. After dismantling each ship down to their cover planking wood, they are documented in situ with 1/1 clear acetate drawings. After all these processes, 1/1 real size acetate drawings of planking woods, floor, futtock, keel, stern post and the existing elements such as ceiling forming the ship were drawn from at least three different points. A photo-mosaic study was carried out for each shipwreck. The second stage of the project is to dismantle the ship elements. The elements forming the ship such as floor, futtock and planking were taken by supporting with special carriers. The third stage of the project shall be the conservation and reconstruction.Les épaves du port de Théodose. Dans le cadre du "projet de l'Université d'Istanbul sur les épaves byzantines de Yenikapı" mené à ïstanbul- Yenikapı (Turkie) au nom du Département de Conservation et de Restauration, notre équipe a entrepris le relevé et la récupération de vingt quatre épaves ainsi que la conservation-restauration et la reconstitution de vingt huit épaves au total. La première étape du projet comporte la documentation et les relevés. Les plans, les sections transversales et longitudinales et le travail de documentation furent effectués par une équipe spécialisée. Après le démontage de chaque navire jusqu'au bordé, ils furent documentés in situ avec des relevé 1/1 à la feuille d'acétate transparente. Par la suite, des dessins à échelle réelle 1/1 des planches du bordé, des varangues, des allonges, de la quille, de l'étambot et des éléments existant tels que le plancher de cale furent réalisés sur au moins trois faces. Une photo-mosaïque d'étude fut effectuée pour chaque épave. La seconde étape du projet est le démontage des éléments des navires. Les éléments constituant le navire tels que les varangues, les allonges et le bordé furent enlevés à l'aide de support spéciaux. La troisième étape du projet sera la conservation et le remontage.Kocabaş Ufuk, Özsait Kocabaş Işıl. Shipwrecks at the Theodosian Harbour. In: Transferts technologiques en architecture navale méditerranéenne de l'Antiquité aux temps modernes : identité technique et identité culturelle. Actes de la Table Ronde d'Istanbul 19-22 mai 2007. Istanbul : Institut Français d'Études Anatoliennes-Georges Dumézil, 2010. pp. 109-127. (Varia Anatolica, 20