Cheryl A. Ward. Sacred and secular: ancient Egyptian ships and boats.

Cheryl A. Ward. Sacred and secular: ancient Egyptian ships and boats. (Archaeological Institute of America The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It is based at Boston University. Monographs [n.s.] No. 5).xiv+162 pages, 79 figures, 16 tables. 2000. Philadelphia: University ofPennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli.http://upenn.edu/.Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. Museum; 0-7872-7182-9 hardback $77.75. Egypt preserves a tremendously rich resource of ancient ship andboat images depicted in the tombs and temples of the pharaohs. Since theexcavation in 1894 of the Dashur boats this knowledge has beensupplemented by spectacular archaeological discoveries of ships andboats. These include the Khufu I vessel at Giza which, as Ward states,'revolutionised our knowledge of ancient Egyptianshipbuilding' (p.45), through to the recent findings of boat gravesat Early Dynastic Abydos (comprehensively discussed in this volume). Theinformation derived from the study of these vessels provides insightinto 'not only the technological abilities and engineering skillsof past ages, but ... also ... economics, culture and politics reflectedwithin the features of the hulls' (p. 1). However, although thereare numerous publications that discuss ancient Egyptian ships and boats,including Landstr^m's (1970) pioneering volume, it is only now thata thoroughly comprehensive account of the construction of these vesselshas been compiled. As the title, Sacred and secular, suggests, the criteria thatdetermined how ancient boats and ships were built and used is hugelydiverse, and often hotly debated. The technological detail bound withinthis volume comprises a compendium com��pen��di��um?n. pl. com��pen��di��ums or com��pen��di��a1. A short, complete summary; an abstract.2. A list or collection of various items. of data meticulously compiled throughthe authors first-hand study of many of these vessels, and reveals howsome traditional interpretations, such as the authenticity of thedove-tailed joints in the Dashur boats, should be revised. Three introductory chapters outline not only the practicalities ofwoodworking and boat and ship construction, but also the contexts inwhich these vessels should be viewed (from the prevailing winds The prevailing winds are the trends in speed and direction of wind over a particular point on the earth's surface. A region's prevailing winds often show global patterns of movement in the earth's atmosphere. Prevailing winds are the causes of waves as they push the ocean. andcurrents of the Nile, to trade, tribute and an obsession with theafterlife). The chapter on natural timber resources is particularlyenlightening en��light��en?tr.v. en��light��ened, en��light��en��ing, en��light��ens1. To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: as it dispels the myth surrounding the limited use ofindigenous timbers in the construction of ancient Egyptian craft. The following eight chapters provide a site by site description, inchronological order, of the physical remains of each vessel allowing thereader to formulate an impression of the development of the constructionof ancient Egyptian ships and boats. This includes an excellent chapterdescribing the rock-cut and brick boats of the Old Kingdom. The finalchapter summarises the principal features and distinctivecharacteristics of Egyptian hull construction. It highlights comparisonsbetween ceremonial and cargo vessels, and the influences on how andsystems in which, these vessels were constructed. Tables, photographsand numerous figures (many produced by the author and unpublishedelsewhere) supplement the text throughout, as well as an excellentglossary. Ward details each stage in the construction sequence as if it werea guide to building a boat. The data outlined are exhaustive and ofteninsightful. The description of the construction of the Dashur boats, forexample, is thoroughly comprehensive, to the extent that comparisons aredrawn between the construction of this vessel and Khufu I, some fivehundred years its senior, that imply a degree of continuity rarelycommented upon. Ward goes on to demonstrate some of the problemsencountered (and overcome) by boat builders Boat Builders redirects here. That is also the name of a 1938 Disney cartoon, shown before a presentation of Meet The Robinsons. Fishing boatsMecanav Tunisia Boatyard http://www.mecanav.com/ Rybovich http://www.rybovich. in antiquity. Rarely is suchdetail extracted from the study of vessel construction and, as isdemonstrated, it is this detail that also supports critical examinationof technology and technological change, so crucial to a widerinterpretation of society. The account of the construction of Khufu I is equally comprehensiveand adds much to earlier interpretations. Amongst other things, Wardhighlights the use of three types of mortise-and-tenon fastening andoutlines clearly why the plank edges were joggled. However, herdescription of the ligatures is less clear, the figure number referredto is incorrect, Table 4 includes errors, and no detailed photograph orsketch is provided, all of which hinder the reader's understandingof an already complex building sequence. In fact, the only criticism of this book would be a lack of readerguidance. For example, many photographs and plans appear without scales,and reference is often made in the text to the alignment of a vessel andyet this is not clear in the Figures. As the author rightly states, 'the luxury of comparing suchlarge and stately vessels ... is not often granted toarchaeologists' (p. 68, in reference to the Khufu boats). Thus, forthose of us not privileged enough to have been able to study thesemagnificent vessels first-hand, Ward provides a comprehensive'handbook' on which to base informed interpretations ofcurrent and future finds of ancient Egyptian ships and boats. This longawaited publication is recommended to scholars of both maritime history Maritime history is a broad thematic element of global history. As an academic subject, it crosses the boundaries of standard disciplines, focusing on understanding mankind's various relationships to the oceans, seas, and major waterways of the globe. and archaeology. Reference LANDSTROM, P. 1970. Ships of the pharoahs: four thousand years ofEgyptian shipbuilding. London: Allen & Unwin. LUCY BLUE Centre for Maritime Archaeology Maritime archaeology (also known as marine archaeology) is a discipline that studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of vessels, shore side facilities, cargoes, human remains and submerged landscapes. , Dept. of Archaeology, University of Southampton In the most recent RAE assessment (2001), it has the only engineering faculty in the country to receive the highest rating (5*) across all disciplines.[3] According to The Times Higher Education Supplement , Southampton, UK (Email: lkb@soton.ac.uk)