AR2409:04
*The Archaeology of the Ship
Townsville
Prerequisites: At least 12 units of level 1 subjects
Inadmissable Subject Combination: AR3409
26 lectures, 12 tutorials. Second semester.
Staff: Assoc. Professor P Veth, Mr N Erskine, Dr M Gibbs, Dr D Roe.
The ship represents a particular form of society quite unlike any other. An examination of the construction, purpose, social context and meaning of ships through the ages provides special insights into maritime societies and how they articulate with broader historical processes. The depiction and iconography of ships is examined in early and contemporary maritime cultures (e.g. Melanesia and the Pacific Islands).
An examination is also made of early archaeological finds of pre-Christian wrecks. Changes in the construction and purpose of vessels through the last two millennia will map the expansion of various empires and trading societies culminating with the highly competent armed traders associated with the expansion of early European capitalism. Transitions in forms of propulsion and construction materials over the last 150 years highlight the latest phase of ship evolution. More generally, the subject aims to integrate relevant perspectives on social process with informed discussion of changes in the nature of ships’ architecture.
Learning Objectives:
- social archaeological perspective on the importance and meaning of ships;
- sound appreciation of the functional and social aspects of ship form;
- appreciation of the evolution in ships’ architecture through the ages;
- understanding of the social importance of ships to settler societies;
- knowledge about the effects of changes in ordnance, mode of propulsion and construction materials on ship form.
Assessment by end-of-semester examination (25%); mid-semester essay (50%); presentation (25%).
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