Force Analysis of Ancient Greco-Roman Rams and Warships

Author(s): Kristina J. Fricker; Sean C. Cox; Trevor Hough

Year: 2017

Summary

Ancient naval warfare is a subject of fascination for many archaeologists, but little is known about the actual warships; the lack of available archaeological material makes the study of naval warfare largely hypothetical.  The recovery of the Athlit Ram in 1980 and other subsequent finds, such as the Egadi Rams, expanded the available archaeological material drastically, and may provide some insight as to the physical characteristics and limitations of warships of the era.  The purpose of this paper is to mathematically analyze the designs of extant rams, specifically the Athlit Ram, to determine the type and amount of damage they could inflict upon enemy vessels given different conditions and variables.  This analysis will primarily focus on the manner in which different speeds and forces damage or alter mortise and tennon hull planking.  

Cite this Record

Force Analysis of Ancient Greco-Roman Rams and Warships. Kristina J. Fricker, Sean C. Cox, Trevor Hough. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435426)

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): 374