INSTITUTE OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY - Bodrum, Turkey |
| SERÇE LIMANI |
by Joseph K. Schwarzer, II
In addition to the cargo of glass and amphoras, the remains of many iron objects were recovered from the Serçe Limani shipwreck. Unlike lead or bronze, iron deteriorates rapidly in sea water. As the iron dissolves, an electrolytic reaction occurs, and a rock-hard shell of calcium carbonate is deposited around the object. Eventually, the metal completely rusts away leaving a cavity which corresponds to the exact dimensions of the original artifact. Archaeologists recover and desalt these lumpy concretions (essentially negative molds), then break them open for cleaning before filling the cavities with liquid epoxy. After the epoxy hardens, the calcium carbonate shell is removed to reveal a plastic facsimile of the original object. Since 1981, this process has yielded a remarkable range of artifacts including unique assemblages of weapons and tools from the 11th century Glass Wreck.
Fifty javelins, twelve
spears, and fragments of two or three swords were recovered from the site. Assembled in
the early 11th century A.D. and preserved in an undisturbed archaeological context, this
arsenal is an important discovery. Aside from furnishing data pertaining to patterns of
trade and general economic systems of the Eastern Mediterranean, a comprehensive analysis
of this armament should provide more precise chronological and typological controls for
the study of medieval weapons as a whole. The typological range and corresponding function
of medieval pole arms have attracted limited scholarly interest and continue to be poorly
understood. Of the 62 examples recovered from Serçe Limani, there are at least ten
distinct variations, two of which have never before been recorded in any Western medieval
context. Observations made in the course of conservation suggest that the total ensemble
may have been divided into specific units ranging from pairs of javelins to groups
including one or two spears and five to seven javelins.
Does this reflect purposeful arrangement or an accident of deposition? How do the weapons relate to the site: are they cargo or ship's stores? If they represent the armament of the vessel does the ordering of weaponry reflect the number and status of crew members or the presence of men-at-arms? The resolution of these questions will provide a new perspective on the logistics of early medieval maritime trade.
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The edged weapons from Serçe Limani present a very different problem. Unfortunately, the remains of these weapons are so fragmentary that it is quite impossible to determine the exact number of swords which were on board. Although none of the blades and only one bronze hilt survived, the concreted remains of scabbards indicate at least two or three swords on the ship. Two of the blades were clearly straight and double edged. However, the remains of a third suggest a curved blade. If so, this would be the earliest of its type yet discovered in a medieval context. Similarly, the bronze hilt recovered from the site in 1977 is a unique find requiring precise morphological and iconographical analysis. The large pommel, compartmentalized grip, and solid arched guard of this hilt are design elements which denote a close affiliation with late Roman types and continued to be used in the East and West well into the l5th century. Nevertheless, the exact source and development of this hilt form is not clearly understood.
Technical examinations (lead isotope, PIXE analysis, etc.) indicate a Near Eastern origin, but flanged quillions and the overall decorative schema clearly reflect an oriental aesthetic. The representation, on both sides of the guard, of a fantastic bird, the hamsa, is ultimately derived from an Indian artistic tradition. The motif had already reached the West by the eighth century A.D. and the image, or its generic equivalent, continues to appear in manuscript illumination well into the l3th century. However, the exact meaning of the adopted image is difficult to ascertain as the iconographical/iconological characteristics of hamsa, peacock, and phoenix become increasingly interfused. As a result, the origin of the hilt is debatable. It may have been created by an Indian artisan (or a craftsman thoroughly familiar with Indian motifs) working in Caucasia or Byzantium sometime in the early 11th century A.D. Alternatively, the weapon may have been fashioned in India or Malaysia from raw materials imported from the West and, subsequently, shipped back to the West via Oman.
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As a whole, the weapons from Serçe Limani reflect a remarkably international range of influences. The winged spears are clearly based on Western European types which may have reached the Aegean over trade routes stretching from Prague and Krakow to the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas. Other pole arms, such as a massive spear sheathed in a wooden scabbard, have no Western equivalent. Similarly, the remains of sword blades from the site suggest traditional Mediterranean types; however, the bronze hilt clearly denotes a confluence of East and West.
Unlike the weapons, the majority of which were individual finds, most of the tools from Serçe Limani have been recovered from a single, large concretion. Raised in 1978, this conglomeration of nails and implements retains the oval shape of a wicker basket, traces of which are preserved on the lower exterior surfaces of the rock-like mass. Due to the density of the concretion, x-ray examination proved impractical. Consequently, since 1983, discovery and casting of individual objects has been painstakingly slow.
Working from the top down, each successive level of the concretion has been carefully dissected. In some cases, the hollow impression left by objects are surrounded by powdery oxides and are extremely delicate. In other instances, a thick shell of calcium carbonate must be cracked with a pneumatic air chisel and disassembled. In fact, the conservation of this concretion resembles a miniature excavation. The nature and location of each artifact is learned through systematic physical examination, and each discovery presents a technical and analytical challenge as the replica plastic objects are created.
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Thus far, finds include a set of drill bits, chisels, a rasp, dozens of nails, a bronze steelyard, a yoke and chain of the steelyard, two combination claw hammer/pry bar tools, two small deep, bronze weighing pans, a lead-filled bronze counter-balance weight, and, most recently, a padlock and key. After we finish casting the artifacts, we hope to reassemble all the finds in such a manner as to
duplicate their original position in the basket. More importantly, however, individual study of each implement will provide new information on levels of technology, and perhaps patterns of trade, which existed one thousand years ago.
