Anatomy of a 16th-century Spanish galleon: The evolution of the hull design
Author(s): Jose L Casaban
Year: 2017
Summary
During the 16th century, the evolution of the Spanish galleon as an oceangoing warship followed a different pattern than in other European nations. The galleon was the product of a maritime tradition developed in Spain that combined Mediterranean and Atlantic design and construction methods. It was designed to protect the fleets of the Indies run, the first permanent interoceanic system from Europe to America, and to defend the Spanish territories overseas and the Iberian Peninsula. This paper examines the evolution of the Spanish galleon hull design through the comparative analysis of archival documents, shipbuilding treatises, and archaeological evidence. The analysis also reveals a distinctive design method for the galleons’ master frame that remained constant since the second half of the 16th century to the late 17th century, despite of the variations of the ratios between the main dimensions of the hulls.
Cite this Record
Anatomy of a 16th-century Spanish galleon: The evolution of the hull design. Jose L Casaban. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435416)
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Keywords
General
Design
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galleon
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Hull
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
16th Century
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): 340