The Ubiquitous Hūrī: Maritime Ethnography, Archaeology and History in the western Indian Ocean

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Barkhuis Publishing via the ISBN in this recordISBSA 13: Thirteenth International Symposium on Boat and Ship Archaeology, 8-12 October 2012 Amsterdam, The Netherland

Sailing with the Mu’allim: The technical practice of sailing in the Medieval Red Sea

In most periods of its history, the Red Sea has acted as a conduit for communication, trade and exchange for a range of cultures in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and along the shores of the Red Sea itself. This is particularly true in the medieval period when sailing vessels from all over the Indian Ocean plied the waters of the Red Sea. To fully appreciate the human endeavour of this complex exchange system an attempt must be made to investigate and understand the technical practices utilised by medieval mariners when sailing on the Red Sea. Direct archaeological evidence for such practices remain frustratingly absent from the archaeological record. However, a rich corpus of historical sources survive that can greatly inform our understanding of this subject. The writings and treatises of Indian Ocean navigators such as Ibn M?jid and Sulaim?n al-Mahr? provide clear evidence for the nature of sailing rigs, the practices used when under sail and the probable performance of medieval sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Addressing these texts purely from the perspective of sailing and voyaging allows a detailed layer of technical information to be added to our existing knowledge of Red Sea sailing and navigation during the medieval period<br/

Technological continuity and change: the lateen sail of the medieval Mediterranean

Maritime connectivity in the medieval Mediterranean, highlighted by a number of scholars, acknowledges the importance of maritime technology. A detailed understanding of the use and development of watercraft permitting trans-Mediterranean trade, exchange and cultural interaction is still often lacking. The lateen sail provided the main form of propulsion to Mediterranean sail-powered ships for the majority of the medieval period. Yet, its origins, development and potential performance has, until recently remained poorly understood. Clear iconographic depictions outline the basic chronology surrounding the adoption of the lateen sail allowing the main rigging components of the Mediterranean lateen rig to be characterised from the late-antiquity onwards. Comparative investigation into the Mediterranean lateen and square-sail allows an appreciation of the relative performance of the two rigs. This allows new theories to be proposed, which explain the invention and adoption of the lateen sail and provide a developed context for its use in the medieval period

Archaeological survey and monitoring data from the Flower of Ugie, wrecked 1852 in the Eastern Solent, England

This paper discusses the potential future reuse of the archived dataset resulting from the archaeological survey of the shipwreck remains of the Flower of Ugie, a wooden sailing barque wrecked in the Eastern Solent in 1852. Seven years of archaeological survey are represented in the site plans which record the structural details of the vessel along with many of its material characteristics. This record serves to establish the baseline condition of the site, against which future monitoring of the site will be conducted allowing informed management decisions to be made

Early Islamic maritime technology

In the ancient and medieval world, watercraft were amongst the most complex items produced by society, often requiring significant levels of investment to build and subsequently maintain. Changes to maritime technology have the potential to inform us about changes to the wider society in which such technology was created and used. This paper explores the extent to which the Arab conquest of the south-eastern Mediterranean in the 7th century AD led to rapid changes in the existing traditions of maritime technology in that region