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Authenticity in the replica Athenian trieres

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

John Coates  and
John Morrison
John Coates
Affiliation:
Sabinal, Lucklands Road, Bath BA1 4AU
John Morrison
Affiliation:
Granhams, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB2 5JX
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Abstract

The building of a replica classical warship, the Athenian trieres, is the most ambitious project of experimental archaeology so far. The ship is building in a Piraeus yard to a design worked out from original sources and using the experience of the partial replica illustrated in ANTIQUITY in 1985 (Morrison & Coates 1985; and for the full story Morrison & Coates 1986, reviewed in this number). But how authentic is the replica? The project leaders set out here how their trireme will differ from the real thing. The result, they believe, is a craft which will faithfully copy a new and well-built ship. But it does use some modern materials; it should last much better than did the classical ships; and it will carry some wholly modern gear. It is no part of their experiment to see how fast an ancient ship rotted or how nastily an Athenian crew drowned when the rotting was complete.

Type
Notes
Information
Antiquity , Volume 61 , Issue 231 , March 1987 , pp. 87 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 1987

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References

Meiggs, R. 1986. Trees and timber in the ancient world. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Morrison, J.S. & Coates, J.F.. 1985. The re-creation of the Trireme, Antiquity 59: 50–1.Google Scholar
Morrison, J.S. & Coates, J.F.. 1986. The Athenian trireme. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Morrison, J.S. & Williams, R.T.. 1968. Greek oared ships. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar