Alkedo, a Roman Imperial Ship from Pisa: A Study of its Hull Construction and Hypothetical Reconstruction

ABSTRACT

Alkedo (also known as Pisa San Rossore-C) is a shipwreck found in Pisa, Italy, dated to the 1st century AD. It was built using mortise-and-tenon joinery, equipped with a cutwater-stem fitted with a reinforced wooden ram. Its interior arrangement has survived, making it possible to study its sailing and rowing configuration. A unique feature is the two lateral benches that allowed the crew to act as human ballast. This article discusses Alkedo's construction and proposes a reconstruction of the ship, suggesting it was built for speed, used for some official role (naval, pilot boat) or as a pleasure boat, built in the style of a naval ship.

RESUMEN

Akeldo (también conocido como Pisa San Rossore-C) es un naufragio hallado en Pisa, Italia y fue datado como perteneciente al siglo I AD. Fue construido empleando uniones de mortaja y lengüeta, equipado con un tajamar adosado a la proa y reforzado con un espolón de madera. Su distribución interior ha sobrevivido, lo cual hace posible el estudio de la configuración de su navegación a vela y remo. Una característica única son sus dos bancos (bancadas) o laterales que permiten a la tripulación actuar como lastre humano. Este artículo discute la construcción de Akeldo y propone una reconstrucción de la embarcación. Se sugiere que fue construido para la velocidad y para ser utilizado en un rol oficial (naval, barco experimental (embarcación de práctico)) o como embarcación de placer, construido al estilo de una embarcación naval.

摘要

“海鸥号”（也被称为比萨圣罗索尔-C）是在意大利比萨发现的一艘沉船，其年代为公元1世纪。该船以榫卯法建造，配备有加装增强型木制撞角的船艏破浪柱。留存了下来的船内布局使得研究其航行与划桨配置成为可能。此船的一个独特特征是存在两个让船员充当人体压舱的横向长凳。本文讨论了“海鸥号”的建造并提出了对这艘船的重建，认为其是为了追求速度而打造的带有海军风格的船舶，用于某些官方场合（如海军、领航船）或作为游艇使用。

摘要

「海鷗號」（也被稱作比薩聖羅索爾-C）是在義大利比薩發現的一艘沈船，其年代為公元1世紀。該船以榫卯法建造，配備有加裝增強型木製撞角的船艏破浪柱。留存了下來的船內布局使得研究其航行與劃槳配置成為可能。此船的一個獨有特征是存在兩個讓船員充當人體壓艙的橫向長凳。本文討論了「海鷗號」的建造並提出了對這艘船的重建，認為其是為了追求速度而打造的帶有海軍風格的船舶，用於某些官方場合（如海軍、領航船）或作為遊艇使用。

KEYWORDS:

• Cutwater
• mortise-and-tenon
• Pisa San Rossore C
• ram

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Tajamar
• mortaja y lengüeta
• Pisa San Rossore C
• espolón

关键词:

• 破浪柱
• 榫卯结构
• 比萨圣罗索尔-C
• 撞角

關鍵詞:

• 破浪柱
• 榫卯結構
• 比薩聖羅索爾-C
• 撞角

الكلمات الدلالیة:

• مُقدمة سَفينة
• النقر واللسان
• بيزا سان روسور–سي
• رام

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Direzione Regionale Musei della Toscana-Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa in Pisa, Italy, for allowing us access to the conserved remains of Alkedo as well as to the documentation collected during Alkedo's excavation and subsequent conservation processes. The authors would also like to thank Domenico Barreca, Alexander Belov, Peter Campbell, Gloriana Pace and Julian Whitewright for their assistance in early discussions about relevant sections in this paper.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author Contributions

JPO: data acquisition; analysis of hull construction; naval architecture analysis; hull and rig reconstruction; image creation and edits; writing: original draft writing (all sections), review and edits. CCT: data acquisition; analysis of hull construction; image creation and edits; writing: original draft writing (hull analysis), review and edits. AC: data acquisition; study of site and stratigraphy related; ancient environment; epigraphical data; bibliographical research; writing: original draft writing (historical context), review and edits.

Permission Statement

The authors state that this research was conducted with the permission of the Direzione Regionale Musei della Toscana-Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa in Pisa, Italy, who also granted permission to publish this material.