History of ships, harbors, and human-sea interaction, particularly in the Mediterranean and Near East, until the Industrial Revolution. Covers archaeological methods for identifying and analyzing maritime sites; the evolution of shipbuilding technology and seafaring; and contemporary issues of heritage management, climate change, and human impacts on maritime heritage within marine ecosystems.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will be required to write a final paper on a topic in maritime archaeology. Their responses to discussion topics will be thoughtful and thorough reflections commensurate with their educational background in archaeology.
Athena Title
Ancient Ships and Seafaring
Prerequisite
Course in Archaeology or Classics or fourth year student standing or graduate student standing
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to differentiate objectives and methods used in maritime archaeological investigation, recreational diving, and treasure hunting.
Students will be able to define and describe how the field of maritime archaeology has evolved with new diving and oceanographic technologies.
Students will be able to explain how marine and aquatic environments impact the archaeological record and underwater site formation and preservation.
Students will be able to identify common components of wooden sailing ships and their design and function.
Students will be able to compare how shipbuilding and seafaring technologies evolved over time and describe their broader social, economic, political, and environmental impacts.
Students will be able to evaluate and describe the broader socioeconomic, political, and environmental impacts of seafaring and human maritime activities in different global societies and cultural groups.
Students will be able to examine and describe methods that maritime archaeologists use to collect, record, and interpret contextual information from shipwrecks and maritime heritage sites.
Students will be able to evaluate and debate ethical issues of object recovery, ownership, and access to maritime heritage materials.
Students will be able to explain how contemporary anthropogenic activities and climate change impact heritage preservation and examine how policies governing the management of, and public interaction with, maritime heritage sites contribute to their protection and preservation.
Topical Outline
Defining the field and development of nautical, underwater, and maritime archaeology
Natural and physical context of maritime heritage sites
Sources of information on ancient ships and seafaring and basic maritime archaeology principles
Indirect and direct evidence for seafaring and watercraft in early prehistory
Early riparian watercraft and use of ship iconography and ethnography in Mesopotamia and Egypt
Late Bronze Age Mediterranean trade networks and exchange
Phoenician colonization and maritime cultural exchange
Shipbuilding technology and innovation: Ancient Greece
Naval warfare in ancient Greece and Rome
Harbors, ports, and coastal archaeology
1st millennium AD: Transition from shell first to frame first construction
Vikings and medieval vessels
Islamic and medieval navigational techniques
Maritime republics, commercialism, and proto-globalization
Archaeology of exploration, colonialism, trade, piracy, and extraction
Eve of Mechanization: The rise of steamships and metal hulls
Maritime archaeology and heritage management and preservation in the present
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
