Comparative Archaeological Analysis of Ship Rigging During the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

Author(s): Grace Tsai

Year: 2016

Summary

The first two decades of the seventeenth century saw a period of rapid technological advancement in shipbuilding, including ships’ rigging. This paper analyzes the changes in rigging seen in artifacts excavated from wrecks spanning from AD 1545 to 1700. Compiled from the most recent publications and/or personal correspondences, the list of artifacts include: blocks, sheaves, pins, deadeyes, chainplates, parrels, cordage, sails, and other miscellaneous parts. These remains will be analyzed to provide an archaeological timeline of when certain rigging features began appearing, such as changes in building material, wood grain, size, and shape.

The majority of our knowledge on rigging previously came from historical sources, iconography, or ship models, because rigging is rarely preserved. This paper ends with a comparison of the historical sources on rigging with the compiled archaeological data.

Cite this Record

Comparative Archaeological Analysis of Ship Rigging During the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Grace Tsai. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434658)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 75