Improved Representation of Paddled Propulsion in a Deterministic Ocean Voyaging Model: Bronze Age Scandinavian Example

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Negotiating Watery Worlds: Impacts and Implications of the Use of Watercraft in Small-Scale Societies" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Here we describe the implementation of a realistic representation of paddling propulsion on a deterministic ocean voyaging computer model. Due to lack of quantified information on the impact of environmental parameters such as winds and currents on paddling, in a previous version of the model paddling speed is kept constant. Based on direct archaeological data as well as measurements from the Tilia Alsie, a reconstruction of the Scandinavian Bronze Age Hjortspring Boat, nautical architecture software was used to generate estimates of paddling speed as a function of true wind speed and direction, with true wind being a function of vessel bearing. Preliminary simulations using the improved paddling speeds generate significantly more variability in trip duration and average vessel speed, better aligned with information gathered during experimental trips with the Tilia Alsie. Compared to field campaigns, the adoption of naval architecture software was a much simpler and cost-effective strategy for generating the wind dependent paddling speeds. The next steps in model development will include the use of the naval architecture software to generate estimates of how wave height influences vessel stability and paddling speed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Negotiating Watery Worlds: Impacts and Implications of the Use of Watercraft in Small-Scale Societies   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36222.0