Insights into the manufacture of laced watercraft through a pollen analysis of the fibrous materials from Roman-era laced boats of the upper Adriatic, Italy

ABSTRACT

This study seeks to understand the season and location of manufacturing of Roman-era north-western Adriatic laced vessels through an analysis of the pollen trapped inside the cordage and seam wadding used to hold these boats together. Samples were collected from three separate hull remains of this tradition of boatbuilding. Results suggest that, in most instances, the esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima) cordage was manufactured in Spain and then shipped to Italy, while the seam wadding (bast fibres) was likely processed in close proximity to the shipyard. By expanding pollen analysis, especially of seam wadding material, it may be possible to distinguish various building locations within this region of Italy in antiquity.

KEYWORDS:

• Palynological archaeology
• ancient ship construction
• laced (sewn) boats
• Italy
• north-western Adriatic

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to Dr. Vaughn Bryant and Chase Beck (Texas A&M University, Palynology Laboratory), who aided me in the processing and identification of pollen in this study. I am also exceedingly grateful to Dr. Massimo Capulli (University of Udine), who enabled this research in Italy, and to the Superintendence for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage of the Friuli-Veneto Giulia and Veneto regions of Italy, who permitted me to collect and analyse samples from materials in their care. I would also like to thank Dr. Josephine Taylor (Stephen F. Austin State University, Biology Department) for the use of her equipment and her help with UV-fluorescence microscopy. Finally, I am indebted to Dr. Filipe Castro (Texas A&M University), who provided me with my first sample of laced boat materials to analyse. Photographs are printed with permission from the Sopraintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Photo by and printed with permission from Kotaro Yamafune.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

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Staci Willis

Staci Willis received her PhD in anthropology (archaeology) from Texas A&M University in 2016. She is currently an adjunct professor at Stephen F. Austin State University. Her research interests include ancient sewn boatbuilding technologies, negotiation and maintenance of identity(ies) in colonial contexts, and applications of archaeological palynology.