Seagoing Ships and Seamanship in the Bronze Age Levant.

• Author: Feldman, Marion H.
• Position: Review

Seagoing Ships and Seamanship in the Bronze Age Levant. By SHELLEY WACHSMANN. College Station, Tex.: TEXAS A. & M. UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1998. Pp. xii + 417, maps, illustrations. $80.

In recent years, scholarship on ancient trade and exchange in the Mediterranean has witnessed a surge in interest. Shelley Wachsmann contributes to this with his book on Bronze Age ships and seafaring, a knowledge of which he argues is "a prerequisite for any understanding of the mechanisms and directions of Bronze Age cultural flow" (p. 3). The book is divided into two sections: the first presents evidence for reconstructing Bronze Age ships, organized by cultural or ethnic group (Egyptian, Syro-Canaanite, Cypriot, Minoan, Mycenaean, Sea Peoples); the second addresses aspects of maritime activity including anchors, navigation, trade, warfare, and piracy. Also included are several contributions by specialists in related areas: J. R. Lenz's discussion of Homer's [LANGUAGE NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] F. M. Hocker on the keels of Hatshepsut's Punt ships, and J. Hoftijzer and W. H. van Soldt's translations of texts from Ugarit containing references to seafaring. The volume's strength lies in the breadth and quant ity of textual, archaeological, iconographic, and ethnographic evidence. Although much of what Wachsmann presents has already been published, its assemblage in one place, in particular the collection of copious illustrations, provides a valuable resource.

Wachsmann brings to the work a detailed knowledge of ships and seafaring, apparent in his extensive discussions of the construction and outfitting of ships. To aid the reader who is unfamiliar with maritime terminology, F. M. Hocker provides a glossary of nautical terms at the end. A useful supplement would have been a diagram of a ship with its parts clearly labeled to facilitate comprehension. In addition, discussion of developmental aspects of shipbuilding techniques would profit from more complete explanation of the benefits and long-term impact of various innovations (for example, the debate over keels and proto-keels, pp. 241-43; the boom-footed square sail, p. 254; and the true hogging truss, p. 74). On a related note, a chart of chronological nomenclature, approximate calendar dates, and the relative synchronisms between cultures would prove helpful, as would a large map at the beginning locating sites mentioned in the text to supplement the three maps of trade routes included toward the end of the b...