No. 237 Maritime Archaeology in the People's Republic of China ...
No. 237 Maritime Archaeology in the People's Republic of China ...
No. 237 Maritime Archaeology in the People's Republic of China ...
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Figure 79. The fore mast step at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> excavation.<br />
Figure 80. The ma<strong>in</strong> mast step at time <strong>of</strong> excavation, note longitud<strong>in</strong>al<br />
braces.<br />
<strong>of</strong> this ancient and fairly massive hull.) The l<strong>in</strong>es have been<br />
redrawn with <strong>the</strong> misalignment corrected and some fair<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
o<strong>the</strong>r irregularities.<br />
The keel<br />
The keel is constructed <strong>in</strong> three parts, <strong>the</strong> forward and aft<br />
portions are made <strong>of</strong> p<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>the</strong> central portion is made <strong>of</strong><br />
camphor wood. The forward and aft keel portions are scarfed<br />
to <strong>the</strong> central portion. The central keel portion is 12.57 m long<br />
by 420 mm wide and 270 mm deep. The aft portion slopes<br />
upwards 27˚ and <strong>the</strong> garboard strake runs parallel to this aft<br />
extension <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> keel all <strong>the</strong> way aft to <strong>the</strong> transom. In <strong>the</strong> bow,<br />
<strong>the</strong> extension <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> keel slopes upwards 35˚. The forward<br />
extension, 4.5 m long could be regarded as a strongly raked<br />
stem s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> lower plank<strong>in</strong>g does not run parallel to it, but<br />
term<strong>in</strong>ates <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> rabbet. There is reason to suspect that <strong>the</strong><br />
extension was surmounted by a transom, so it is described<br />
here as a forward keel extension (if <strong>the</strong>re was a transom, <strong>the</strong>n<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r it is correct to call this part a forward keel extension<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> a stem is unclear and not readily answered by look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
at traditional Western usage).<br />
The mast steps<br />
The scarf jo<strong>in</strong>ts and good-luck baosongkong<br />
The forward and aft portions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> keel were scarfed to <strong>the</strong><br />
central portion with a complex jo<strong>in</strong>t 340 mm long. In <strong>the</strong><br />
vertical upper face <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forward scarf, seven iron co<strong>in</strong>s<br />
with traces <strong>of</strong> leaf decoration were found recessed <strong>in</strong>to holes<br />
(25 mm diameter and 28 mm deep). In <strong>the</strong> lower forward<br />
face, recessed <strong>in</strong> a hole (110 mm diameter and 20 mm deep)<br />
a copper alloy mirror was found (102 mm diameter, 17 mm<br />
thick and weigh<strong>in</strong>g 79 grams). In <strong>the</strong> aft scarf <strong>the</strong>re were 13<br />
copper co<strong>in</strong>s and a copper mirror (100 mm diameter 17 mm<br />
thick and weigh<strong>in</strong>g 31.5 grams). The co<strong>in</strong>s are known as<br />
Baosongkong or symbols for good-luck or longevity. In <strong>the</strong><br />
forward scarf <strong>the</strong>y were set <strong>in</strong> such a way as to represent <strong>the</strong><br />
constellation <strong>of</strong> Ursa Major, <strong>the</strong> mirror is thought to represent<br />
<strong>the</strong> Moon. It is not known what <strong>the</strong> 13 stars <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> stern section<br />
represent. It was reported that <strong>the</strong> square holes <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> centre<br />
<strong>of</strong> all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> co<strong>in</strong>s was fill with an unidentified substance.<br />
36<br />
This could possibly be <strong>the</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> iron nails used to hold<br />
<strong>the</strong> co<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> place or ano<strong>the</strong>r substance, perhaps related to<br />
an unknown symbolic function (for example, <strong>in</strong> Indonesia<br />
rice or o<strong>the</strong>r food stuff is <strong>of</strong>ten put <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> keel scarf to ensure<br />
prosperity). The symbols have Daoist significance, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />
ei<strong>the</strong>r good luck and fair w<strong>in</strong>ds, or represent<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Seven Star<br />
Ocean where <strong>the</strong>re are many dangerous rocks, <strong>the</strong> mirror is<br />
<strong>the</strong>re to reflect light and ensure a safe journey. This tradition<br />
is apparently cont<strong>in</strong>ued today <strong>in</strong> traditional shipbuild<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong><br />
stars represented by nails and <strong>the</strong> Moon by a silver co<strong>in</strong>. The<br />
scarf jo<strong>in</strong>t is shown <strong>in</strong> figure ?.<br />
There are knees re<strong>in</strong>forc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> short scarf jo<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
extensions to <strong>the</strong> keel. These knees are fairly light, sawn from<br />
small pieces <strong>of</strong> timber and left half-round <strong>in</strong> section. They are<br />
fastened to <strong>the</strong> keel with a few nails which are driven through<br />
<strong>of</strong>f-centre. They would appear to have been used to position<br />
<strong>the</strong> keel extensions dur<strong>in</strong>g assembly ra<strong>the</strong>r than as an important<br />
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ship’s ma<strong>in</strong> longitud<strong>in</strong>al structure.<br />
Plank Structure<br />
The hull is double planked up to <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> turn <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> bilge, where it becomes triple planked. The plank<strong>in</strong>g is<br />
made <strong>of</strong> cedar, constructed <strong>in</strong> a complex manner, <strong>in</strong> a mixture<br />
<strong>of</strong> carvel and cl<strong>in</strong>ker design. In order to describe this structure<br />
adequately, some liberties have been taken with conventional<br />
Western shipbuild<strong>in</strong>g terms. The terms that have been used<br />
relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> hull are def<strong>in</strong>ed here purely for <strong>the</strong> sake <strong>of</strong><br />
convenience.<br />
Inner or <strong>in</strong>side refers to <strong>the</strong> surface or side fac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terior<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hull; conversely, outer or outside refers to <strong>the</strong> side fac<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> water. Upper refers to <strong>the</strong> part (edge or strake) away from<br />
<strong>the</strong> keel, lower refers to <strong>the</strong> part towards <strong>the</strong> keel.<br />
Carvel seam: (as <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> conventional def<strong>in</strong>ition), <strong>the</strong> edge-toedge<br />
seam between two adjacent strakes is a flat seam made at<br />
right angles to <strong>the</strong> surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> strakes, and produc<strong>in</strong>g a smooth<br />
(carvel) surface on <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>side and outside <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hull.<br />
Rabbeted carvel seam: (unconventional def<strong>in</strong>ition), <strong>the</strong><br />
edge-jo<strong>in</strong>t between two adjacent strakes is rabbeted along <strong>the</strong><br />
whole <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seam by a type <strong>of</strong> step-jo<strong>in</strong>t.<br />
Cl<strong>in</strong>ker seam: (as <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> conventional def<strong>in</strong>ition), <strong>the</strong> strakes<br />
overlap one ano<strong>the</strong>r, so that (<strong>in</strong> this case) <strong>the</strong> upper strake