Essential Hardware: An Analysis of Vasa’s Rigging and Gun Tackle Blocks

Summary

Rigging blocks are essential to the operation of a large sailing vessel, yet little has been published on these vital pieces of hardware. Recent research and analysis of the rigging and gun tackle blocks found in association with the Swedish royal warship, Vasa, lost in Stockholm Harbor in 1628,has made possible a detailed study of this specialized equipment, its typology, nomenclature, historical development, physical mechanics, and its application aboard 17th century square-rigged ships. Vasa’s rigging and gun tackle blocks can then be compared with other archaeological examples from the period to reveal patterns of block design, manufacturing methods, and national rigging practices. This archaeological information, combined with the limited historical sources available, sheds light on the nature of the working environment of the navy yard blockmaker and the broader social organization behind the production and usage of this vital hardware, both onboard Vasa and in the Stockholm Navy Yard.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• Understanding Seventeenth Century Maritime Culture: Current Research on the Swedish Warship Vasa of 1628

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 691