An Ancient Egyptian Rudder from Thonis-Heracleion

ABSTRACT

The city of Thonis-Heracleion, a major ancient port on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt in the Late and Ptolemaic Periods, contains the largest known accumulation of ancient ships in the world. During the last excavation season in the spring of 2021, a small rudder was discovered in the vicinity of one of the shipwrecks. The article is devoted to the context and construction of the rudder.

RESUMEN

La ciudad de Thonis-Heracleion, un gran puerto antiguo en la costa mediterránea de Egipto en los periodos Ptolemaicos tardíos, contiene la más amplia acumulación conocida de embarcaciones antiguas en el mundo. En la primavera de 2021, durante la última temporada de excavación, se descubrió un pequeño timón en las cercanías de uno de los pecios. Este artículo está dedicado al contexto y a la construcción del timón.

摘要

托尼斯赫拉克利翁是古埃及晚期和托勒密时期地中海沿岸的主要古代港口，拥有世界上已知最大的古代沉船聚集地。在2021年春的最后一次发掘中，其中一艘沉船附近发现了一个小舵。本文即专门讨论此舵的背景和构造。

摘要

托尼斯赫拉克利翁是古埃及晚期和托勒密時期地中海沿岸的主要古代港口，擁有世界上已知最大的古代沉船聚集地。在2021年春的最後一次發掘中，其中一艘沉船附近發現了一個小舵。本文即專門討論此舵的背景和構造。

المُستخلص

تحَتوي مَدینة ثونیس ھیراكلیون والتي كانت مِیناَء قدیم أساسي على سَاحل البحر الأبیض المُتوسط في مَصْر في العصرین المُتأخر والبطلمي، على أكبر تراكم مَعروف للسُفن القدیمة في العالم. ولقد تم اكتشاف دفَةَّ صَغیرة الحجم في مُحیط إحدى حُطام السُفن وذلك أثناء مُوسم التنقیب الأخیر في ربیع عام ۲۰۲۱ . ولھذا فتم تَخصیص ھذا المَقال لیكون عن سِیاق الدفَةَّ وبنِائھا.

KEYWORDS:

• Maritime archaeology
• Thonis-Heracleion
• shipwrecks
• rudder
• Egyptian Late Period
• Ptolemaic Period

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• arqueología marítima
• Thonis-Heracleion
• naufragios
• timón
• periodo tardío egipcio
• periodo ptolemaico

关键词:

• 海洋考古
• 托尼斯-赫拉克利翁市
• 沉船
• 船舵，古埃及晚期
• 托勒密时期

關鍵詞:

• 海洋考古
• 托尼斯赫拉克利翁
• 沉船
• 船舵
• 古埃及晚期
• 托勒密時期

الكلمات الدلالیة:

• عِلم الآثار البحریة
• ثونیس ھیراكلیون
• حُطام السُفن
• الدفَةَّ
• العصرالمِصريّ لمُتأخر
• العصرالبطلمي

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Franck Goddio, director of the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (IEASM), for entrusting me the publication of this material and for his comments on the context and date of the excavation zone. The rudder was discovered and excavated by my colleagues from the IEASM: Antoine Guillan, David Honoré, and Marine Chanas. They also took measurements, underwater photographs and ensured the careful recovery of the piece. Catherine Grataloup was very kind to provide the dates of the ceramics found with the rudder. The photographs taken by Christoph Gerigk were essential for the study, during which Sergei Belov offered his help in drawing the find. I also appreciated the cooperation of Olivier Berger during work in the Conservation Laboratory of the Maritime Museum of Alexandria and his expert opinion on the metal fastenings. The advice and comments of Damian Robinson, director of the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology (OCMA) are warmly appreciated. I am also thankful to Ehab Fahmy, Ibrahim Metwalli, and Marwan Mady from the Underwater Department of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), who were deeply interested in the excavation and study of this find. I am deeply indebted to Cheryl Ward for her comments and for sending me the publications on Mersa/Wadi Gawasis material. The underwater excavations of IEASM are funded by Hilti Foundation, Switzerland.

Statement on Permissions

All archaeological data presented in the article belongs to European Institute of Underwater Archaeology (IEASM, Paris, France). There is no third-party material. IEASM holds a valid excavation permit from the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt (SCA) and the excavations are undertaken under the Underwater Department of SCA in Alexandria.

Disclosure Statement

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