A Report on the late 1st-2nd-century-AD Venice Lido III Sewn Timber Assemblage

Abstract

In 2012, fragments of hull planking bearing the signs of a Roman-era sewn vessel, with holes drilled along the plank edges, washed ashore on Venice Lido, the barrier island separating the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. This paper describes the construction features of this timber assemblage and places it within the context of other excavated sewn boats of the Upper Adriatic. The assemblage presented here best fits into the north-western Adriatic sewn tradition and likely represents either a fluvial-maritime or maritime watercraft. En 2012, fragmentos de tablazón de un casco que presentaba señales de haber pertenecido a una embarcación cosida de la era romana, con orificios elaborados en los cantos de las tablas, fueron arrastrados a Lido de Venecia, isla barrera que separa la Laguna de Venecia del Mar Adriático. Este artículo describe las características de construcción de este ensamblaje de maderas y lo sitúa dentro del contexto de otras excavaciones de barcos cosidos del Alto Adriático. La clasificación con que mejor se identifica el ensamblaje presentado aquí, es la tradición de costura del Adriático noroccidental y aparentemente representa una embarcación marítima o fluviomarítima. Palabras clave: Proyecto Sutiles, barco cosido, construcción naval, Venecia, Adriático, Era Romana 关于公元1-2世纪威尼斯利多3号上缝制接合技术的说明 2012年, 带有罗马时代缝制船痕迹及边缘存在钻孔的船体碎片冲上威尼斯利多岛, 这是一道将威尼斯泻湖与亚得里亚海隔开的天然屏障。本文记述了这种木材接合方式的建筑特征, 并将其置于其他在上亚得里亚海发掘的缝制船的范围内。文中的这一接合方式最符合亚得里亚海西北部的缝制传统, 它可能用于一艘河海两用船或是一艘海船。 关键词: Sutiles研究计划, 缝制船, 船舶建造, 威尼斯, 亚得里亚海, 罗马时代 關于公元1-2世紀威尼斯利多3號上縫制接合技術的說明 2012年, 帶有羅馬時代縫制船痕迹及邊緣存在鑽孔的船體碎片衝上威尼斯利多島, 這是一道將威尼斯瀉湖與亞得里亞海隔開的天然屏障。本文記述了這種木材接合方式的建築特征, 並將其置于其他在上亞得里亞海發掘的縫制船的範圍內。文中的這一接合方式最符合亞得里亞海西北部的縫制傳統, 它可能用于一艘河海兩用船或是一艘海船。 關鍵詞: Sutiles研究計劃, 縫制船, 船舶建造, 威尼斯, 亞得里亞海, 羅馬時代 After a storm in the autumn of 2012, a set of ten detached timbers, with diagonal holes along their edges, washed ashore along the beach near Ospedale al Mare, on the seaward side of Venice Lido, the barrier island separating the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. These timbers were collected by Marcello Rossani along with the Superintendent Archaeologist of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Luigi Fozzati. The timbers were identified as culturally significant, belonging to a sewn tradition of hull construction previously recognized in the upper Adriatic Sea. They were placed in the care of Alessandro Asta of the Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Veneto, who granted the authors access to study them (Capulli et al., 2014: 215–218). The 2012 timbers represent the third assemblage of sewn boat timbers discovered along the shores of Venice Lido (Fig. 1). The hull remains that comprise Venice Lido I were found at Alberoni beach from 1993 to 1997 (Beltrame, 1996; 2000; 2002: 355–358); and 2003 (Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: 302). According to Beltrame (2002: 358), this first assemblage includes two articulated, if highly fragmented, hull planks sewn together to form the remains of a flat-bottomed hull radiocarbon dated to the 1st or 2nd century AD. The second assemblage consists of two fragments of sewn hull planking (Venice Lido II) recovered near the Ospedale al Mare beach in 1997 and 2000, about 9km away from the first group; these hull remains are not precisely dated (Beltrame, 2002: 368–369). It was on this same beach at Ospedale al Mare that the third assemblage of ten sewn timbers (Venice Lido III) was collected after the storm. None of the plank fragments within this third assemblage were found sewn or otherwise joined together, nor did the sewing holes along their edges align. The sewing holes of eight plank fragments had both pegs and cordage preserved within them. Only three plank fragments had intact treenails, but a fourth did have a likely treenail hole preserved along one of its broken ends. Since the planks were not joined together, and thus there were no original seams intact, there was no seam wadding—the fibrous material found along the interior seam of sewn boats—recovered from this assemblage. It is important to note that the ‘Venice Lido III’ denotes the assemblage, here a group of timbers studied together (Willis and Capulli, 2014: 10–15; 2017: 147–150); however, this designation is not indicative of a third wreck-site, or a third hull, as these timbers were not found in situ. As the timbers from the Venice Lido II and III assemblages were recovered in the same general area, it is possible that they originated from the same hull; however, as the Venice Lido II timbers were not available to the authors for physical examination, the designation used here also allows for the possibility that they are from another wreck, as will be explored below. Survey of the coast of the barrier island to identify the hull(s) or structure(s) from which these timbers came could help clarify this situation. [M.C.] After their discovery, the Venice Lido III timber assemblage was moved to a storage facility of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Veneto on the island of Lido. In the summer of 2013, the authors visited the facility and briefly assessed the timbers. Two timbers had distinct construction features that warranted further investigation and called for fully recording and analysing the assemblage. In June 2014, the Venice Lido III timbers were recorded (Willis and Capulli, 2014). In total, 27 wood samples were collected and sent to Nili Liphschitz of the Botanical Laboratories of the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University for identification. Eleven samples of cordage were collected and identified by one of the authors (Willis) using the reference collection of Texas A&M University's Paleoethnobotany Laboratory. This assemblage was then returned to the outdoor storage facility. The timbers currently reside in a permanent warehouse of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Veneto in Padua. During the 2014 research season, it was noted that one of the timbers (F5) had suffered distortion and shrinkage over the course of the preceding year (Fig. 2). The warping of this fragment highlights the importance of expedient and efficient examination of archaeological materials. General measurements were made of this timber during our brief visit to the storage facility in 2013; it is the 2013 measurements presented in Table 1. These ten hull planking fragments were found alongside a number of other debris, including a section of a frame. In 2013, this frame was measured and photographed and labelled as Fragment 6. However, since there were no notches cut on the underside of the frame to facilitate the seam wadding of a sewn boat, it cannot be definitively tied to a sewn boat or this sewn plank timber assemblage. It was therefore not included in the analysis presented here, which will include fragments 1–5 and 7–11. [M.C.] All timbers in this assemblage, ten in total, are from the hull planking of one or more sewn vessels (Fig. 3). The ends and edges of these planks are broken and eroded; for this reason, the timbers are referred to as fragments (F1 to F11). They range in preserved length from c.0.24m to 2m; however, deterioration of the plank ends makes it difficult to determine how accurately these measurements correspond to original length. The timbers range in preserved width from c.0.06–0.36m. Four of the timber fragments (F1, F5, F7, and F8) have intact sewing holes along both plank edges, which indicates they may be close to the original width of the plank. Again, degradation of the plank edges does not permit exact measurement of original dimensions. Finally, the timbers range in thickness from c.30–75mm (Table 1). [S.W.] This timber assemblage has extensive evidence of exposure to a marine environment, including the presence of teredo worm damage, imprints of seashells, and embedded marine life. Despite the substantial damage wrought by the depositional environment on these timbers, some tool marks were noted. Bow-drill marks were detected in the sewing holes of F8 and F11, and gouge marks were noted in the sewing holes of F1. Chisel marks were also observed along the edge cavities of several of the Venice Lido III timbers, F1 in particular. Since the Venice Lido III timber assemblage is a disarticulated set of hull-planking fragments, it is difficult to ascertain which portion of a sewn hull is represented by these remains. However, two timbers (F1 and F5) have distinctive features that allow for interpretations of their position within the hull of the vessel. F1 tapers across its width, with distinctive differences in thickness between edge of the along one edge and along the other 3). This of the plank indicates that it may have a as a between a a and the is and with a distinct of the (Fig. 2). This timber could represent a a or a of which could have its of the ten hull-planking fragments were made of Table 2). The other two timbers and were of The treenails, used to the to the hull were from in and F8 and from wood in F1. The pegs used to the sewing holes and the were of and pegs were for F1 and F8 the same was used for pegs from both of these timbers. The cordage was from a material that in and analysis of this material in it was likely in and then to [S.W.] The distinctive of this timber assemblage is the which indicates sewn hull construction (Fig. holes are along at one edge of with pegs and cordage preserved in of these The interior of the plank be identified as the sewing holes are intact and set from the plank the the holes at the plank of the timbers in this assemblage had sewing holes about in width, with that their along the interior of the plank to (Fig. F1 and F8 are the sewing holes of in along the interior are in about in width, the other timbers of this assemblage. In the sewing holes of F8 are in width to the other timbers in this assemblage, but not signs of with along the interior in The holes of this assemblage were on about with a range of (Table 3). the of the sewing holes within the assemblage more within fragment the range of about Again, F8 is to this within the the sewing holes of this timber are further at about between The sewing which along the interior of the along the edge the the to form cavities Table of the edges may have the preserved on timbers F1. The edge cavities may have the sewing as they a of the The edge cavities are in and range in to the thickness of the This is in which had the and edge cavities of this assemblage (Fig. its edge cavities between the two edges of the plank. The samples of cordage collected from the Venice Lido III timber assemblage samples from two from and one from F5, F7, and are cordage in (Fig. F1 had to of cordage preserved within a sewing hull planking and had three of cordage these planks were of a vessel, then the to have of the hull with more of cordage other F1 was a then its in may the However, the number of preserved sewing hole does not the number of made during original construction or sewing holes of F1 were the first hole of the second at and the at was noted for the first sewing holes of cordage and the second This likely indicates of cordage was by the pegs within the sewing there was no evidence to determine the original of the The pegs are and the that they were into position from the interior of the the cordage was range in preserved length and in preserved with the pegs to plank thickness and sewing hole within the assemblage. of the pegs of F1 the of here (Fig. made of the same material as the pegs They were used to the and are observed in with This is the first of used with pegs in a sewn [S.W.] no were found with the Venice Lido III timber assemblage, fragments have of the in the form of preserved treenails, which have used to the to the hull (F1, and F8) (Fig. 3). in Two of the hull-planking fragments of this assemblage evidence for frame which be or treenail holes are preserved along a length of F8 has measured from the to In the of F1 are of the hull-planking fragments (F1, and F5) that have both and pegs preserved They have pegs for the that are the preserved that likely the The is in the pegs are in and the treenail is These measurements the of the sewing and the of the frame to this timber assemblage. [S.W.] F8 of the Venice Lido III timbers signs of the edges of this fragment are highly there are on either side of the sewing holes along one edge that could more holes but the sewing plank (Fig. 3). there to be two or for the sewing holes along this edge (Fig. in from the of the plank and one from the edge of the plank. These features of construction likely to this plank during the of the vessel. The original plank have its preserved width of some in its the section of the plank was and a was Eleven holes were drilled to a plank in the section of of the plank. These holes have drilled to the of the from the of the plank. Since this plank was to the hull, edge cavities could not be a gouge was used to holes to edge or hole to access to the plank In this the holes in were and a section of planking was (Fig. During or the plank along the the that sewing holes at of the preserved fragment represents the portion of the plank that was intact at a width in the hull of the vessel. [S.W.] Since this timber assemblage was not discovered within its original archaeological were the to its was not possible as are in hull-planking had to on radiocarbon are to this in the that are but it does a general of for the a for were collected for radiocarbon from the preserved and sent to two for samples were also radiocarbon dated for F1 and Since nor of the and therefore the of the of the observed for of the hull-planking fragments, of the for the cordage may a more for the of the vessel. this is the that cordage may have as is in the of sewn vessels However, the that the were to the hull have made more difficult as it have the to be cut from the In the sewn a Roman-era sewn boat from a section of one frame was in the of the vessel, likely to access a in the hull planking that was or and Capulli, 2017: the frame was not in to the then it is and that were not for of the cordage the of the vessel. the boats within this sewn tradition may not have this of as as is observed with sewn boats either the are in sewn boats of or are used of the sewn boat of which them to and to the available material and in the in Despite this of radiocarbon analysis the currently available for this assemblage, and on it as as for our The radiocarbon for this assemblage range from the 1st century to the century (Table the for of the timbers with other in the 1st century the that these timbers could have into the same with possible construction to the 1st century F5, dated to the of several timbers. It is possible that this timber was of a or represents a as a to the vessel. this timber assemblage represents a vessel, then it is on the presented here, that the was in the 1st or 2nd century and in the 2nd century AD. This remains a as it that the was in for a a century or It may be more likely that more one hull is represented by this timber assemblage. In to to the a analysis of the radiocarbon of cordage and hull plank samples from F1 and F8 was by of the University of Laboratory. analysis of radiocarbon has into archaeological to archaeological it is a for on available as The here is on the that the cordage is in the wood of the hull from the but with no or This the of samples from F1 to and and of samples from F8 to and (Fig. [S.W.] In to the Venice Lido III timber assemblage, a brief examination of the sewn in the upper Adriatic is have discovered and the and from to the but there are two of sewn vessels from the upper Adriatic here as the Adriatic and the north-western Adriatic. and the and for the Adriatic and north-western Adriatic are to this the authors the as a of it or on are more likely of the of the the archaeological material to the the discovered sewn boat at the that sewn in the and et this reason, However, with and that the substantial differences in and between the north-western and of this this into two distinct and and that the construction that the Adriatic tradition in their from the north-western Adriatic is the sewing the north-western Adriatic sewn tradition the or sewing the Adriatic tradition a sewing has the in general hull Adriatic sewn vessels are boats with and north-western Adriatic sewn vessels have either hull or at a plank et al., here that in to these the of the sewing are also in between vessels of sewn tradition of the upper Adriatic. there is in the construction between the vessels of the Adriatic tradition on currently of these hull the to be sewing holes in close together the sewing holes of the north-western Adriatic tradition are in on and further on the holes of the Adriatic sewn It is possible that another between these are the used in hull in for the north-western Adriatic have previously with of for hull planking and for (Beltrame, 2002: Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: thus the material identified for the cordage of north-western Adriatic and or have identified for cordage of Adriatic and et al., et al., and The of identified cordage at this this is General in for the Adriatic tradition are not as hull remains have the hull had planking of its were of and et al., et al., of the on the other had planking of and of and As more from the Adriatic tradition are a in for hull planking and may there are at eight vessels to the Adriatic which have recovered along the coast of The of a fully sewn boat at radiocarbon dated between the of the century and the of the century is the fully sewn boat in the and to the Adriatic tradition et al., et al., of the from this however, from the between the 1st century and the century AD. It is to at this in research this tradition of sewn construction was in in the of the Adriatic the or if it of and was at some between the and the [M.C.] on the of the sewing there is a possible that may be with the Adriatic hull planks excavated from a on the island of del in the Venice (Capulli and Capulli, The and thus the of these between the 2nd and AD. These two planks from a sewn are with the north-western Adriatic sewn However, the sewing holes are in and and are features that more with the Adriatic The sewing is no no cordage was found to it is not possible to if they were joined with a but the and of the sewing holes may these hull remains were from Adriatic sewn Adriatic for these planks cannot be definitively at this this is As Adriatic sewn vessels were vessels with it not be that Adriatic sewn boat could be found within the It is possible that a could have during a to Adriatic and the hull planking and then into in the In with the Adriatic the north-western Adriatic tradition has more archaeological with All vessels are flat-bottomed a they range in and be within two general hull and remains of this tradition have recovered as as as as and as as with that range from the 2nd century to at the or century and to the (Beltrame and Gaddi, The to the remains of this tradition del is the or century and the is the century hull Beltrame Beltrame and has called into the of the of the hull which were dated on that both ends of this range be as the fragment radiocarbon dated to the or century from del cannot be definitively to a sewn [M.C.] on the of construction presented the Venice Lido III timber assemblage is best within the north-western Adriatic sewn tradition of the sewing nor the general form of the hull be definitively on the preserved remains of this timber assemblage, other features with the north-western Adriatic The sewing holes are and more on the north-western Adriatic edge cavities are or in as in this assemblage (Beltrame, 2002: Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: of the Venice Lido III assemblage is with other pegs of the north-western Adriatic tradition (Beltrame, 2002: Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: and Capulli, on construction the Venice Lido I assemblage may have a between its pegs and noted in the Venice Lido III assemblage, but the of the of the have not The of in this assemblage, the for for hull planking and the of is with within the north-western Adriatic tradition previously noted (Beltrame, 2002: Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: The Venice Lido III timber assemblage is the first of the of for pegs within this wood has used to pegs of other sewn vessels of this including Venice Lido I and this is the first of its for et al., 2002: is across the north-western Adriatic tradition of sewn but the Venice Lido III timber assemblage within observed The frame was not for of this in these I and and the here is on measurements from and and hull remains have that are as close together as as in the and the boat, and as as as in the I and II hull remains (Beltrame, 2002: The Venice Lido I timber assemblage has in the range (Beltrame, The frame noted within the hull remains of this tradition as preserved within the archaeological to the of the of this tradition with evidence for frame have more hull remains of I and Venice Lido and Venice Lido III F8 (Beltrame, 1996; 2002: Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: have about hull remains of and 2017: have evidence of frame hull remains of and Venice Lido III F1 on however, is In the hull, the of the on their position in the hull, with the together the in the which were as as The to other of the north-western Adriatic as the Venice Lido III timber assemblage. The frame preserved in the Venice Lido III hull fragments likely does not represent the frame of the from which they However, using the hull as a if F1 and F8 are from the same then F1 may be of the or and F8 may have from As more vessels are a may that a more of hull-planking fragments to distinct of a the north-western Adriatic two of be which and as and The as the has a flat-bottomed hull with a the planking to the side and was used on and and Capulli, The is also but has a of the and a plank or a hull is for both and and The is the best within this tradition The Venice Lido III timber assemblage signs of from a vessel, it within the of and The of this assemblage of timbers in the Adriatic that the they represent on these teredo worm damage and marine may also evidence of their presence could be a of depositional however, the features of construction are the evidence that these timbers came from a more for the The a of the has a hull-planking thickness of have planking Beltrame and Gaddi, 2013: and Capulli, The planks from the north-western Adriatic sewn tradition are from the Venice Lido I and III hull remains. Venice Lido I had a plank (Beltrame, 2002: F1 was a then the Venice Lido III assemblage represents a hull with a plank a that was at The more substantial timber have made these vessels on the their them to F1 was to a then this assemblage may a third of or within this However, further research is to this The Venice Lido III timber assemblage represents one or more north-western Adriatic sewn that likely either or the in a of the north-western Adriatic tradition of sewn this assemblage some features to the These include the of within the pegs of the sewing and the of the sewing in to the All was the of the a between the of and Cultural Heritage of the University of and the Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of The authors are to Nili and of the were to our interpretations of this timber assemblage, to and who to the of the timbers during the 2014 summer season, and to and who the timbers for