Overview

Early Ships and Seafaring: Water Transport Within Europe builds on Professor Sen McGrails 2006 volume Ancient Boats and Ships by delving deeper into the construction and use of boats and ships between the stone age and AD1500 in order to provide up to date information. Regions covered will include the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe. This interesting volume is easily accessible to those with little or no knowledge of the building and uses of boats, whether ancient or modern.Sen McGrail introduces the reader to this relatively new discipline through the theory and techniques used in the study of early boats as well as the many different types of evidence available to us, including archaeological, documentary, iconographic, experimental and ethnographic, and the natural, physical laws. AUTHOR: Professor Sean McGrail is widely regarded as a leading authority in the area of boats and ships within archaeology. Professor McGrail served in the Royal Navy from 1946-1968, which included flying as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm between 1952 and 1968, before going on to study for a BA at the University of Bristol, followed by a doctorate in Archaeology at University College, London. Positions during this time have included Keeper at the National Maritime Museum, a Professorship at the University of Oxford and the position of visiting Professor at the University of Southampton. 60 b/w illustrations

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9781399019453

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[An] excellent exposition. -- UNRV [A] concise though well-informed look at what knowledge the relatively young field of nautical archaeology has amassed in relation to the water transport of early Europe... a useful introduction to the topic for the uninitiated, and a concise reference for the learned. -- The Maritime History Podcast Archaeological evidence of boats and ships is unfortunately scare, but McGrail does an excellent job in this book of compiling what knowledge we do have from iconographic, documentary, ethnographic and archaeological sources. -- Current World Archaeology As a qualified shipwright myself I particularly relate to the extensive and well chosen selection of diagrams and photographs of construction of such craft included in this book. --Julian Stockwin Early Ships and Seafaring is a very good book that ought to be widely read... In three sleek chapters, one on concepts and techniques, one on the Mediterranean and one on the Atlantic, McGrail outlines our knowledge base for European seafaring from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages; he uses many good examples and offers useful cross references to ethnographic and experimental archaeological data. -- Medieval Archaeology This book covers the relatively new specialization of water transport in archaeology. It is a delightful and informative book that is illustrated throughout with single colour sketches and photographs. Water transport has been curiously under-covered, even though it was of vital importance to developing civilizations and continues to be important today. This is a book that should be widely read because it recounts the way in which water and water transport has shaped human development. Highly recommended. -- Firetrench This is a short but invaluable book that ends with suggestions for future research. -- Current Archaeology

As a qualified shipwright myself I particularly relate to the extensive and well chosen selection of diagrams and photographs of construction of such craft included in this book. --Julian Stockwin, author of The Silk Tree and The Powder of Death [An] excellent exposition. -- UNRV [A] concise though well-informed look at what knowledge the relatively young field of nautical archaeology has amassed in relation to the water transport of early Europe... a useful introduction to the topic for the uninitiated, and a concise reference for the learned. -- The Maritime History Podcast Archaeological evidence of boats and ships is unfortunately scare, but McGrail does an excellent job in this book of compiling what knowledge we do have from iconographic, documentary, ethnographic and archaeological sources. -- Current World Archaeology Early Ships and Seafaring is a very good book that ought to be widely read... In three sleek chapters, one on concepts and techniques, one on the Mediterranean and one on the Atlantic, McGrail outlines our knowledge base for European seafaring from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages; he uses many good examples and offers useful cross references to ethnographic and experimental archaeological data. -- Medieval Archaeology This book covers the relatively new specialization of water transport in archaeology. It is a delightful and informative book that is illustrated throughout with single colour sketches and photographs. Water transport has been curiously under-covered, even though it was of vital importance to developing civilizations and continues to be important today. This is a book that should be widely read because it recounts the way in which water and water transport has shaped human development. Highly recommended. -- Firetrench This is a short but invaluable book that ends with suggestions for future research. -- Current Archaeology

Author Information

Professor Sean McGrail is widely regarded as a leading authority in the area of boats and ships within archaeology. Professor McGrail served in the Royal Navy from 1946-1968, which included flying as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm between 1952 and 1968, before going on to study for a BA at the University of Bristol, followed by a doctorate in Archaeology at University College, London. Positions during this time have included Keeper at the National Maritime Museum, a Professorship at the University of Oxford and the position of visiting Professor at the University of Southampton.

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