Ships and Seafaring in Ancient Times

Ships and Seafaring in Ancient Times PDF Author: Lionel Casson
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
Ever since the earliest travelers took to the water on reed rafts or inflated goatskins, ships and boats have played a paramount role in the history of the Western world. The invention of the sail about 3500 BC resulted in ever faster and more efficient water transport, and the great civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome depended on ships and seafarers for their prosperity. This entertaining book by the world's foremost authority on ancient seamanship traces the development of the boat from the most primitive craft to the powerful warships of the Greeks, the huge Roman merchant vessels, and the slender galleys of the Vikings. Professor Casson shows how the discoveries of marine archaeologists and recent experiments with full-size replicas of ancient boats have increased our knowledge of the way in which ships were built and used. Drawing upon written accounts and contemporary artistic depictions of naval battles, trading expeditions, and other voyages, he brings the world of seafaring in ancient times vividly to life.

Ships and Seafaring in Ancient Times

Ships and Seafaring in Ancient Times PDF Author: Lionel Casson
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 180

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ever since the earliest travelers took to the water on reed rafts or inflated goatskins, ships and boats have played a paramount role in the history of the Western world. The invention of the sail about 3500 BC resulted in ever faster and more efficient water transport, and the great civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome depended on ships and seafarers for their prosperity. This entertaining book by the world's foremost authority on ancient seamanship traces the development of the boat from the most primitive craft to the powerful warships of the Greeks, the huge Roman merchant vessels, and the slender galleys of the Vikings. Professor Casson shows how the discoveries of marine archaeologists and recent experiments with full-size replicas of ancient boats have increased our knowledge of the way in which ships were built and used. Drawing upon written accounts and contemporary artistic depictions of naval battles, trading expeditions, and other voyages, he brings the world of seafaring in ancient times vividly to life.

A Short History of Seafaring

A Short History of Seafaring PDF Author: Brian Lavery
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0744020697
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
For more than 5,000 years, the sea has challenged, rewarded, and punished the brave sailors who set forth to explore it. This history of the sea and sailing tells the remarkable story of those individuals--whether they lived to tell the tale themselves or not. From the early Polynesian seafarers and the first full circumnavigations of the globe, to explorers picking their way through the coral reefs of the West Indies, this book tells the compelling story of life at sea that lies behind man's search for new lands, new trade, conquest, and uncharted waters. The great milestones of nautical history from the discovery of America to the establishment of the Royal Navy, the naval history of the Civil War, the Battle of Midway and modern piracy are all charted and set in their cultural and historical context. A Short History of Seafaring is a unique compendium of awe-inspiring tales of epic sea voyages that always involve great feats of seamanship, navigation, endurance, and ingenuity.

Seafaring and Seafarers in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean

Seafaring and Seafarers in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean PDF Author: Arthur Bernard Knapp
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789088905551
Category : Bronze age
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book presents a diachronic study of seafaring, seafarers and maritime interactions during the Early, Middle and Late Bronze Ages of the eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus, Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt)

Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Early Medieval Times

Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Early Medieval Times PDF Author: George F. Hourani
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691000329
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
In this classic work George Hourani deals with the history of the sea trade of the Arabs in the Indian Ocean from its obscure origins many centuries before Christ to the time of its full extension to China and East Africa in the ninth and tenth centuries. The book comprises a brief but masterly historical account that has never been superseded. The author gives attention not only to geography, meteorology, and the details of travel, but also to the ships themselves, including a discussion of the origin of stitched planking and of the lateen fore-and-aft sails. Piracy in the Indian Ocean, day-to-day life at sea, the establishment of ancient lighthouses and the production of early maritime guides, handbooks, and port directories are all described in fascinating detail. Arab Seafaring will appeal to anyone interested in Arab life or the history of navigation. For this expanded edition, John Carswell has added a new introduction, a bibliography, and notes that add material from recent archaeological research.

The History of Seafaring

The History of Seafaring PDF Author: Donald Johnson
Publisher: Anova Books
ISBN: 9781844860401
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
A large format, meticulously researched, lavishly illustrated and fully international history of mankind's seaborne voyages from the Phoenicians and Chinese to modern navies and round-the-world sailing yachts. Royal prestige, intellectual curiosity, commerce and territorial expansion all propelled mankind to make perilous voyages across unpredictable oceans to find out what lay beyond the horizon, and the art of navigation allowed them to do so. From initial conjecture and philosophical reason, man ventured forth to glean first-hand information of the seas by exploration and scientific investigation. The author pieces together the advances in astronomy, navigation, shipbuilding and surveying through the ages to tell the fascinating and absorbing history of navigation and exploration in an elegant volume that is beautifully illustrated with manuscripts and rutters, portolans and sea charts, ship's instruments and artefacts. The meticulous research, based on original sources, has brought to light a lot of new information, which in some cases contradicts popular held beliefs. The book opens with the basic questions and challenges of navigation. Part 2 unravels the development of science and seafaring from the ancient times to the Mediterranean era. This created a basis for longer sailings, which are at the heart of Part 3 and in Part 4 the book ends with the advanced technology that made it possible to determine a ship's exact position at sea.

Seafaring and Civilization

Seafaring and Civilization PDF Author: Philip De Souza
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781861973238
Category : Civilization
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Philip de Souza presents a strong historical overview of the sea as a medium for the expansion and development of human society - both positive and negative impacts. The most extensive maritime networks were confined geographically and culturally until the end of the fifteenth century. This marks a watershed in the history of the seafaring civilizations of the world. Maritime networks linked societies allowing an exchange and distribution of goods, political ideologies, war and economic power. The world's major religions also spread through seafaring networks. Trading seafarers can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians and beyond, where communities bartered food and raw materials. The movement of goods, commodities and slaves without exchange was also an important aspect of ancient economic activity. As trading networks expanded, communities were introduced to new types of food and their diets changed. Conversely, new diseases spread quickly to communities that had not built up a natural immunity over time and in several cases throughout history can be directly connected to seafaring. Philip surveys major historical trends in seafaring technology, examining the evolution of ships from 'log boats' to super tankers. He examines the significance of ports and harbour installations and changes in maritime navigation methods.

Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman

Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman PDF Author: Dionisius A. Agius
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136201750
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
This book is a study of the seafaring communities of the Arabian Gulf and Oman in the past 150 years. It analyses the significance of the dhow and how coastal communities interacted throughout their long tradition of seafaring. In addition to archival material, the work is based on extensive field research in which the voices of seamen were recorded in over 200 interviews. The book provides an integrated study of dhow activity in the area concerned and examines the consciousness of belonging to the wider culture of the Indian ocean as it is expressed in boat-building traditions, navigational techniques, crew organisation and port towns. People of the Dhow brings together the different measures of time past, the sea, its people and their material culture. The Arabian Gulf and Oman have traditionally shared a common destiny within the Western Indian Ocean. The seasonal monsoonal winds were fundamental to the physical and human unities of the seafaring communities, producing a way of life in harmony with the natural world, a world which was abruptly changed with the discovery of oil. What remains is memories of a seafaring past, a history of traditions and customs recorded here in the recollections of a dying generation and in the rich artistic heritage of the region.

The Ancient Sailing Season

The Ancient Sailing Season PDF Author: James Beresford
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004241949
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
Providing a comprehensive examination of the capacity of ancient ships and seafarers to cope with seasonally changing sea conditions, this book draws on a wide range of ancient literary sources while also taking account of modern weather records, hydrological data, and recent archaeological discoveries. Taking a fresh look at the various ways in which seasonality affected maritime transport across the sea-lanes of the ancient world, this book offers new perspectives on the nature of seaborne trade, naval warfare and piratical operations. The result is a volume that questions many long-held scholarly assumptions concerning the strength and seaworthiness of ancient vessels, as well as the abilities of Greek and Roman mariners, to regularly undertake voyages across hazardous stretches of sea.

The Sea in World History [2 volumes]

The Sea in World History [2 volumes] PDF Author: Stephen K. Stein
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 856

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Book Description
This two-volume set documents the essential role of the sea and maritime activity across history, from travel and food production to commerce and conquest. In all eras, water transport has served as the cheapest and most efficient means of moving cargo and people over any significant distance. Only relatively recently have railroads and aircraft provided an alternative. Most of the world's bulk goods continue to travel primarily by ship over water. Even today, 95 percent of the cargo that enters and leaves the United States does so by ship. Similarly, people around the world rely on the sea for food, and in recent years, the sea has become an important source of oil and other resources, with the longterm effects of our continuing efforts to extract resources from the sea further highlighting environmental concerns that range from pollution to the exhaustion of fish stocks. This chronologically organized two-volume reference addresses the history of the sea, beginning with ancient civilizations (4000 to 1000 BCE) and ending with the modern era (1945 to the present day). Each of the eight chapters is further broken down into sections that focus on specific nations or regions, offering detailed descriptions of that area of the world and shorter entries on specific topics, individuals, and events. The book spans maritime history, covering major seafaring peoples and nations; famous explorers, travelers, and commanders; events, battles, and wars; key technologies, including famous ships; important processes and ongoing events, such as piracy and the slave trade; and more. Readers will benefit from dozens of primary source documents—ranging from ancient Egyptian tales of seafaring to texts by renowned travelers like Marco Polo, Zheng He, and Ibn Battuta—that provide firsthand accounts from the age of discovery as well as accounts of battle from World War I and II and more modern accounts of the sea.

People of the Sea

People of the Sea PDF Author: James Wharram
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781907206580
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description