Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-02

The Etruscans dominated central Italy from the eighth to the fifth centuries B.C.E. Within this time, they maintained both direct and indirect trade networks with other cultures. There are two categories of evidence that demonstrate the nature of Etruscan relationships with the other inhabitants of the Mediterranean basin: ancient written sources and archaeological data. The objective of this thesis is to produce a new study on the nature of Etruscan trade, commerce, and seafaring from the eighth to the fifth centuries B.C.E. based on recent underwater discoveries that have not yet been evaluated against existing theories. The ancient written sources for Etruscan seafaring can be divided into two distinct thematic groups. These include Etruscan piracy and commerce. The archaeological evidence for Etruscan commodities consists of eleven shipwrecks found off the coasts of France and Italy, the excavation of three ports on the western coast of Italy, tomb paintings, and clay ship models. Materials from the shipwrecks include amphorae, or two-handled clay storage jars, and associated pottery, which together comprise the basis of this study. In a final section, previous research on the subject of Etruscan seafaring, commerce, and piracy will be re-evaluated in light of recent discoveries.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 535-557). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 473-513).

Buy a puzzle, assemble it, and destroy its original box. Take the puzzle, go to a lake, throw the puzzle in the lake, and leave it for a few weeks. Return to the lake and try to rebuild the puzzle from the remaining pieces. Such is the challenge of the research goals presented on this abstract – the reconstruction of a Portuguese frigate, Santo Antonio de Tanná, from its submerged remains. This thesis focuses on the mechanisms of reconstructing the ship, including the thought process, new computer tools, and imagination required for an archaeologist to be a detective of lost eras. The main objective was to understand the construction of a late Seventeenth-century Portuguese frigate. Frigates were responsible for patrolling the seas, intercepting fastmoving vessels, re-supplying military trading stations, and protecting trade routes. The existence of Portuguese frigates was known from historical records, but Santo Antonio de Tanná is the only frigate identified in the archaeological record. As such, its reconstruction should enable scholars to better understand the actual capabilities of seventeenth century frigates.A particular challenge in this study was ascertaining the manner in which Santo Antonio de Tanná’s construction reflected the state of affairs of the Portuguese trade network. Although their construction methods were advanced, the Portuguese adopted a shipbuilding design that was not able to compete as well in the new conditions of a changing global context. This study clearly demonstrate that cargo capacity was given greater emphasis than either speed or maneuverability, illustrating the on-going necessity of the Portuguese to build military ships with cargo capacity sufficient for minimal trade, even at the expense of speed. These were just the first steps in terms of what could be learned from the reconstruction. The best method to understand the ship, a three-dimensional object, was to recreate it into a three-dimensional environment in order to create a more accurate model. The resulting model permitted research to extend beyond the limits of the individual line drawings through the added benefit of being able to calculate hydrodynamics, sailing characteristics, and other data based on the ship’s morphology.

Greco-Roman religion in the ancient Mediterranean permeated aspects of everyday life, including seafaring. Besides cargo, ships transported mariners' religious beliefs from port to port, thus disseminating religious culture. Shipboard ritual, however, remains largely inferred from Latin and Greek texts, iconography, and isolated archaeological finds. Several accounts record that tutelary statues were carried on board to deliver a ship from peril. These accounts are supported by iconographic representations of deities on the hull and a relief scene which shows the use of altars and incense in shipboard ritual. Moreover, ritual objects, including altars, small statuary, incense burners, and lustral basins, have been found among shipwrecks, but prior archaeological research has been particularistic, singling out ritual objects in shipwrecks. Their presence, however, does not necessitate shipboard ritual since these items may have been cargo. To distinguish between personal items and cargo on board ancient shipwrecks, I analyze such objects both objectively and subjectively: first focusing on an object to discern a potential purpose and then again within a spatial context to define its actual purpose. Additionally, I develop religious and social space theories for shipboard analysis, identifying ritual at the bow and stern and concluding that the stern in particular served as an axis mundi, a central location for divine communication. Furthermore, because of this comprehensive approach, large ritual objects such as altars and lustral basins often can be identified primarily as cargo. Ultimately, applying social space theory to shipwrecks can redefine our interpretation of religious activity on board the ship, an intermediary in the dissemination of culture.

Buy a puzzle, assemble it, and destroy its original box. Take the puzzle, go to a lake, throw the puzzle in the lake, and leave it for a few weeks. Return to the lake and try to rebuild the puzzle from the remaining pieces. Such is the challenge of the research goals presented on this abstract - the reconstruction of a Portuguese frigate, Santo Antonio de Tanná, from its submerged remains. This thesis focuses on the mechanisms of reconstructing the ship, including the thought process, new computer tools, and imagination required for an archaeologist to be a detective of lost eras. The main objective was to understand the construction of a late Seventeenth-century Portuguese frigate. Frigates were responsible for patrolling the seas, intercepting fastmoving vessels, re-supplying military trading stations, and protecting trade routes. The existence of Portuguese frigates was known from historical records, but Santo Antonio de Tanná is the only frigate identified in the archaeological record. As such, its reconstruction should enable scholars to better understand the actual capabilities of seventeenth century frigates. A particular challenge in this study was ascertaining the manner in which Santo Antonio de Tanná's construction reflected the state of affairs of the Portuguese trade network. Although their construction methods were advanced, the Portuguese adopted a shipbuilding design that was not able to compete as well in the new conditions of a changing global context. This study clearly demonstrate that cargo capacity was given greater emphasis than either speed or maneuverability, illustrating the on-going necessity of the Portuguese to build military ships with cargo capacity sufficient for minimal trade, even at the expense of speed. These were just the first steps in terms of what could be learned from the reconstruction. The best method to understand the ship, a three-dimensional object, was to recreate it into a three-dimensional environment in order to create a more accurate model. The resulting model permitted research to extend beyond the limits of the individual line drawings through the added benefit of being able to calculate hydrodynamics, sailing characteristics, and other data based on the ship's morphology.

Dedicated to Dr. William A. Todd, of Downingtown, Pa. / Last page blank.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Murdoch University, 1985. / Bibliography.