- Australia
Tom Vosmer
Washington State Department of Ecology, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Department Member
This paper examines the archaeological, ethnographic and historical information that provided a basis for the evolution of the design and of the construction process, and discuss the experimentation and reasoning behind decisions... more
This paper examines the archaeological, ethnographic and historical information that provided a basis for the evolution of the design and of the construction process, and discuss the experimentation and reasoning behind decisions concerning form, materials and structure of the reconstruction.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... Finally since the vessel is only intended to sail down wind, a high righting moment at low angles of heel is not ... The greatest thanks must go to the shipwrights of Chantier Ebad El-Rahman, Rashid, Egypt and the sailors from Lake... more
... Finally since the vessel is only intended to sail down wind, a high righting moment at low angles of heel is not ... The greatest thanks must go to the shipwrights of Chantier Ebad El-Rahman, Rashid, Egypt and the sailors from Lake Borolos who formed the ... 4. ABD el-RAZIQ, M. et al ...
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ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the... more
ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: History and Indian Ocean
Ship timbers were discovered during the excavation of the Islamic site of al-Balīd recycled in the buildings of its citadel and the Great Mosque. These fragments stripped from the hulls of Indian Ocean medieval sewn vessels form the... more
Ship timbers were discovered during the excavation of the Islamic site of al-Balīd recycled in the buildings of its citadel and the Great Mosque. These fragments stripped from the hulls of Indian Ocean medieval sewn vessels form the largest collection of archaeological evidence for the ships sailing during the Middle Islamic Period (10th–15th century CE). More than one third of the timbers bears traces of a bitumen mixture used as luting and coating to seal the ships planking to waterproof and protect their hulls, a practice generally associated with sewn-plank construction. This paper presents the result of the GC-MS, carbon and hydrogen isotope on chromatographic fractions, and X-Ray diffraction analyses on twenty-two samples of the luting extracted from fifteen timbers from al-Balīd. The nature of the constituents of the amalgam is determined showing that the luting consists of bitumen mixed with mineral matter, fat or oil and two triterpenic resins, dammar (Dipterocarpacea) and frankincense. The chemical signature of the bitumen indicates that it was likely sourced from two seeps in southwest Iranian: Mamatain and Ain Gir-Chersch Mehrgir-Dehluran. The origin of the bitumen might suggest that the luting was applied during the construction or repairing of Indian Ocean vessels in boatyards along the coasts of the Arabian/Persian Gulf or Southern and Eastern Arabia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Maritime Archaeology of Oman Project (MASO) was initiated by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MHC), the Sultanate of Oman. The volume is essentially a database of information from a wide range of resources, including maps,... more
The Maritime Archaeology of Oman Project (MASO) was initiated by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MHC), the Sultanate of Oman. The volume is essentially a database of information from a wide range of resources, including maps, charts, all relevant published and grey literature, together with development plans that might impact maritime and coastal archaeology, of the coastal and underwater archaeology of Oman. These data are also integrated into a GIS system and were enhanced through direct coastal and maritime survey in selected areas in Oman. All the above is reflected in this volume which is the only one of its type in existence
For a number of years maritime archaeologists and historians have been involved in accumulating data on shipwrecks known to have been lost in Australian waters. This information has inevitably developed from simple card indexes into... more
For a number of years maritime archaeologists and historians have been involved in accumulating data on shipwrecks known to have been lost in Australian waters. This information has inevitably developed from simple card indexes into complex databases. The type of information collected by research workers has tended to differ, depending on the nature and interest of the organizations or individuals involved in the recording. Recording shipwreck information as part of a State management plan was first started in Western Australian by Henderson (1977). Since the declaration of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, most of the delegated authorities in the States have also started to collect shipwreck information as part of their heritage management programme.
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This chapter presents a comparative analysis and synthesis of all the relevant evidence of watercraft in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Historical, archaeological, iconographic and ethnographic data are examined with the aim to... more
This chapter presents a comparative analysis and synthesis of all the relevant evidence of watercraft in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Historical, archaeological, iconographic and ethnographic data are examined with the aim to provide a picture of the maritime technology in the region that stretches from the Neolithic to recent times, over a period of 7500 years. The study of this evidence reveals the variety of types of watercraft, the traits of their development and the ingenuity of the boatbuilders of this region, but also highlights the continuity with the past, indicated by the persistence of boatbuilding features and methodologies over a vast span of time. Lastly, the chapter describes the different types of traditional vessels that sailed in the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman until recent times.
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In July 1990, students of the Graduate Diploma Course in Maritime Archaeology conducted field work in Albany, Western Australia. The authors worked on the wreck of the Lady Lyttleton, a vessel of unknown provenance which was lost in 1867... more
In July 1990, students of the Graduate Diploma Course in Maritime Archaeology conducted field work in Albany, Western Australia. The authors worked on the wreck of the Lady Lyttleton, a vessel of unknown provenance which was lost in 1867 while being careened near Oyster Harbour. This paper describes the survey and partial excavation of the wreck, as well as the subsequent research done in an attempt to identify the building date and provenance of the vessel.
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The two basic aims or an ethnographic study of indigenous boats of a region or culture are first to make a complete documentation of the vessels as they now appear: their morphology materials, construction and function. Both for use as an... more
The two basic aims or an ethnographic study of indigenous boats of a region or culture are first to make a complete documentation of the vessels as they now appear: their morphology materials, construction and function. Both for use as an investigative tool and as a permanent historical record: and second to enable hypothesis about the forces which have contributed to their current appearance and function to be formulated and to draw from this. inferences regarding the technical development, social organisation, cultural beliefs and foreign influences which have impacted on the culture.
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During the past 5 000 years the political and economic power of the Sultanate of Oman has always been intrinsically linked with the vigour and strength of its maritime activities, and the fortunes and influence of Oman rose and fell in... more
During the past 5 000 years the political and economic power of the Sultanate of Oman has always been intrinsically linked with the vigour and strength of its maritime activities, and the fortunes and influence of Oman rose and fell in step with the intensity of maritime activity. Despite the importance of its maritime heritage, little study has been done so far on the vessels which enabled Oman to exert its influence in the maritime sphere.
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Two samples of bitumen were obtained, one from a torpedo jar (c. 3rd–8th C. AD) from Masirah island and one from a Tunisian jar (c. 18th C. AD) from Muhut island off the central coast of Oman. Steranes and terpanes, as well as isotope... more
Two samples of bitumen were obtained, one from a torpedo jar (c. 3rd–8th C. AD) from Masirah island and one from a Tunisian jar (c. 18th C. AD) from Muhut island off the central coast of Oman. Steranes and terpanes, as well as isotope data on chromatographic fractions, were used as tools to characterize the bitumen. Comparison of data with those already acquired on bitumen from torpedo jars from Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, and oil seeps from Iran and Iraq allowed us to conclude that the bitumen originated from different areas of southwest Iran. Those of the Muhut jar were likely from Khuzistan, whereas those from Masirah island appear to have been sourced from Kermanshah. These findings are in keeping with other similar geochemical studies undertaken on bitumen lined vessels from across the region (see more below).
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the... more
ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract On 28 November 1945, in the Makran trench off Pakistan, a large earthquake (8.1 Mw) produced a tsunami that struck the coast of Oman and left a taphonomically distinct shell bed in Sur Lagoon. The shell bed was thick (5–25 cm)... more
Abstract On 28 November 1945, in the Makran trench off Pakistan, a large earthquake (8.1 Mw) produced a tsunami that struck the coast of Oman and left a taphonomically distinct shell bed in Sur Lagoon. The shell bed was thick (5–25 cm) and laterally extensive, covering a> 1 km 2 area. The shell assemblage from the deposit contained a mean of 59% for articulated bivalves of allochthonous offshore and subtidal species (eg, Tellina palatam) as well as a mean of 20% for lagoonal species, indicating large-scale erosion and transport. ...
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'The Maritime Archaeology of Long Distance Voyaging' was the theme of the 17th International Conference of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, held in Fremantle, Western Australia, 6-12 September 1997. The... more
'The Maritime Archaeology of Long Distance Voyaging' was the theme of the 17th International Conference of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, held in Fremantle, Western Australia, 6-12 September 1997. The conference attracted over one hundred delegates from 21 countries. In addition to the presentations at the meeting, delegates had opportunities to visit the Western Australian Maritime Museum, the Historic Boats Museum,. the Fremantle History Museum, the Duyfken 1606 Project (the reconstruction of the first European vessel known to have visited Australia) and the Fremantle Maritime Precinct. Reflecting the diverse origins and interests of the participants and the variety of projects, the geographical range of the papers was worldwide and the chronological span from the Late Pleistocene to the present century. While there were a huge variety of papers and points of view, the title of the conference assured a unifying theme. Under the 'Long distance voyaging' rubric, the general conference topics were 'The Indian Ocean', 'Maritime archaeology', 'Boat ethnography', 'Shipwrecks and survivors' camps', 'Iron and steam shipwrecks' and 'Managing shipwreck sites'. While many of the 60 papers described specific sites and projects, a large number of the presentations dealt with issues of site management, preservation and cultural resource management. The present review will concentrate on these topics, after summarizing the other sessions of the conference [1].
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... Jeremy Green, Tom Vosmer Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, Clif Street, Fremantle, Western Australia 6160, Australia ... K K-LI K-L2 K-L3 K-L4 K-L5 K-L6 K-L7 K-L8 K-L9 K-LIO K K-LI K-L2 K-L3 K-L4... more
... Jeremy Green, Tom Vosmer Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum, Clif Street, Fremantle, Western Australia 6160, Australia ... K K-LI K-L2 K-L3 K-L4 K-L5 K-L6 K-L7 K-L8 K-L9 K-LIO K K-LI K-L2 K-L3 K-L4 K-L5 K-L6 K-L7 K-L8 K-L9 K-LIO ...