Medieval shipbuilding in Catalonia, Spain (13th–15th centuries): one principle, different processes

Abstract

Late medieval shipbuilding in Catalonia followed the Mediterranean trend in adopting a frame‐first shipbuilding principle with planking placed edge‐to‐edge. The predetermination of frame shapes using moulds had modified the construction process, as seen in the 11th‐century Serçe Limanı vessel with the use of a series of moulds, and 13th‐century Culip VI, with the use of a master mould, rising square and rule. Between the 13th and 15th centuries all known Mediterranean shipwrecks were built using the master‐mould method, but other factors caused variation in the construction process—not the principle—as exemplified by the 14th‐century Les Sorres X built with two overlain keel timbers.

La construcción naval en Cataluña durante la Baja Edad Media se basaba en la tradición mediterránea del principio de construcción de esqueleto con la tablazón del forro a tope. La concepción de la forma de las cuadernas utilizando gálibos modificó el proceso de construcción, tal como se aprecia en Serçe Limani, del siglo XI, en que se utilizaron una serie de gálibos, y posteriormente, en Culip VI, del siglo XIII, donde se utilizó el método del gálibo maestro, la puja y la regla para determinar a partir de un solo gálibo la forma de todas las cuadernas. Entre los siglos XIII y XV todos los pecios del Mediterráneo fueron construídos utilizando el método del gálibo maestro, pero otros factores pudieron variar el proceso de construcción ‐aunque no el principio‐ tal como se aprecia en Les Sorres X, del siglo XIV, construído con una doble quilla superpuesta.

Key words:

• shipbuilding
• construction process
• Middle Ages
• Mediterranean
• Catalonia

Acknowledgements

The author is member of research projects:‘Crews, Armaments, Naval Construction and Navigation in the Mediaeval Mediterranean’, HAR 2013‐48433‐C2‐1‐P (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness), and ‘The Catalan‐Aragonese Crown, the Islam and the Mediterranean World’, CAIMM‐GRC (Dept. of Economy and Expertise, Government of Catalonia), research projects, both directed by Dr R. Salicrú (Institute of Mediaeval History‐CSIC, Barcelona).

I am grateful to all members of the Les Sorres X team, especially to Albert Martín and Eulàlia Barrasetas, directors of the excavation site. Also, I would like to thank Xavier Nieto, former director of the Centre of Underwater Archaeology of Catalonia (CASC). I also want to thank Pauline Figuerola and Montse Navarro for their translation into English.

Notes

1. In the Mediterranean, the term coca, cocca or cocha (cog) is used throughout the 14th century as a simile of nau, the big trading ship. It was equipped with one single mast, rigging a square sail, and a stern‐rudder, independent of its Mediterranean or Atlantic origin (Ciciliot, 1998: 192–3; Bellabarba, 1999: 85–86; Pujol, 2012: 181–2).

2. Analysis of wood species was carried out by Fréderic Guibal: Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.): keel, stempost, sternpost, side keels; umbrella pine (Pinus pinea L.): keel plank, planking, stringers, mast step; elm (Ulmus campestrys L.): keelson, holm oak (Quercus ilex L.): floor timbers and futtocks; poplar (Populus sp.): treenails.