The Roman Ship

The Project

The start signal to begin with the Roman ship's construction was given in January 2007, when the keel was laid at the shipyard of youth employment project Jugend in Arbeit e.V. in Hamburg-Harburg. Since then, two boatbuilders, 17 students and three boatbuilding apprentices have been working on the ship's completion. The project helps to fight youth unemployment by supporting the shipyard operated by Jugend in Arbeit e.V. 

Two wrecks of Roman warships dated about 100 AD served as models for the reconstruction of the Roman warship.  They were discovered in 1986 in the vicinity of the Roman fort at Oberstimm near Ingolstadt and recovered in 1994. Scientists assume that these vessels were used as military ships, based on the fact that they were found in the Oberstimm fort's vicinity as well as due to their typical length-width ratio of 6:1.

»Although the find on which our reconstruction is based dates to the period after the Varus Battle, the construction method used for military ships of this size was hardly any different than at the time of Varus,« asserts Hamburg-based Prof. Dr. Christoph Schäfer. »The wrecks are the best preserved finds of Roman warships we have,« he adds.
 

Model from Mainz

For the construction of the ship, the Museum of Ancient Seafaring Mainz provided both the basic archaeological study and a model serving as a blueprint for the technicians working at Hamburg-Harburg's shipyard.

The shipbuilding materials came from the county of Lippe: They include oak wood for the vertical frame together with 700 shaped wooden nails to hold the ship together. Furthermore, there is lark wood for the deals and the mast, as well as spruce wood for the oars. The wood was provided by Landesverband Lippe from its 16,000 hectare large forest.

Following the example of the Romans 2,000 years ago, the shipbuilders used the same grooved and tongued joint construction system. However, electric buzz saws and power drills were not used in Roman times, while the modern ship builders resorted to them: »Fortunately, in addition to the antique techniques, we are able to use modern tools, while the construction of the ship's hulk parallels that of its antique predecessor exactly,« Schäfer states.

Archaeological Experiment

It is not known how powerful and maneuverable such antique ships were. This shall now be established in an archaeological experiment. In this context, the project also offers opportunities for winning other scientific insights. The completion of this boat type from the Roman Iron Age will hopefully close a gap in experimental ship archaeology.

Tests on the Ratzeburg Lake east of Hamburg conducted in the middle of April 2008 shall provide information about the boat's top speed and acceleration behavior. The established speeds will allow scientists to give better estimates of the distances these Roman boats were able to cover 2,000 years ago. The vessel's maneuverability will be tested using the 20 oarsmen as well as under sail. Prof. Schäfer: »We want to know how close to the wind one can sail with this ship.« The most advanced technical equipment which was developed two years ago in the context of the world’s most challenging sailing regatta, the »America’s cup«, will be used to measure the nautical qualities of the reconstructed Roman ship.

In addition, the participating historians and archaeologists want to find out how long it takes to train a crew to make them fit for service aboard such a warship. The scientists hope to gain new insights regarding the role of the Roman fleet during the establishment of Roman dominion on Germanic soil.