Ships in Mycenaean Greece

Abstract

This paper examines the ships used by the Mycenaean Greeks in the Mediterranean area in the latter half of the second millennium B. C. using as sources mainly paintings, results of Undersea archaeology, and Linear B script documents.
The first noteworthy source is a miniature fresco., “The Escort of Ships”, from Room 5 of the “West House, ” excavated at Akrotiri. It shows a procession of decorated ships moving by oar or sail from one coastal town to another, representing some kind of military campaign, and is dated to the 16th century B. C. In the middle of the fleet, there is a flagship with about 40 rowers, a steersman and 10 warriors. The fresco shows the type and structure of ships of that time that were not necessarily merchant or trading ships.
A second is the sunken ship at Ulu Burun, excavated by G. F. Bass and dated to the 14th or early 13th century B. C. Apparently loaded with a very valuable cargo, it seems to have sunk in the middle of its voyage. Research has shown that it was 15 to 18 meters long and had a minimum capacity of 12m. tons deadweight. The keel was made of heavy timber and the planks were fastened to the keel to each other using pegged mortise-and-tenon joints.
Third and finally, I refer to the record of shipbuilding in the Linear B tablets of Pylos. Na-u-do-mo (shipbuilders) are mentioned on PY Vn 865, while in PY Vn 46 and Vn 879, opinion is divided as to whether ka-pi-ni-ja should be interpreted as a list of timbers for shipbuilding or for construction of a building. T. G. Paleima insists on the former interpretation and L. Baumbach on the latter.
I hypothesize that a kind of gift trade was carried on by royal officials and merchants appointed by the king of Pylos.