Laying Aloft in Modern Times: Exploring the Potential of Collaborative Work Between Nautical Archaeology and Tall Ship Organizations

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Innovative Approaches to Finding Agency in Objects" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

For those studying the act of sailing a vessel during the Age of Sail, roughly 1500-1900, details regarding a sailor’s day-to-day sailing experience, as well as the detailed mechanics of the operation of the vessel, can be frustratingly rare. Texts that do exist, in the form of rigging guides or sailor autobiographies for example, largely date to the 19th century. In similar circumstances, archaeological data is often the best way to supply missing information regarding the lived experiences of past communities. However, the rigs of sailing vessels after a wrecking event often prove to be the most ephemeral aspect of the wreck site, and so most data pertaining to the operation of the crew when manipulating the rig of the vessel is lost. This paper will explore the potential for illuminating this aspect of maritime history through the cooperation between nautical archaeologists and tall ship organizations.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Innovative Approaches to Finding Agency in Objects

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 967