Ancient Mediterranean

Digital Project

Single-levelled galley

Cat. No.

A66

Date

Late 8th century

Findspot

Thebes

Dimensions

Max. L: 3.9 cm; H: 4.7 cm (catchplate); preserved bow L: 5.6 cm

Medium

Fragmentary bronze fibula with decorated catch-plate and bow comprised of shells, only two of which survive

Accession Number

Ashmolean Museum G 376

References

Basch 1987: 194, no. 413; Cherici 2006: 357, fig. 13; Hampe 1936: no. 108; Morrison and Williams 1968: 77, Arch. 17

Single-levelled ship to the right. The hull is completely flat, rendered by two parallel horizontals filled with a lozenge chain decoration. The transition into the bow projection is no longer preserved. The stempost is vertical, ending in a very long and high incurving S-shaped horn with a triangular tip. There are two short horizontal timbers tapering to a pointed tip projecting from the stermpost. The forecastle is a solid rectangle except for the top of the screen which is slanted instead of being horizontal. The sternpost curves abruptly inward, after which it becomes straight and ends in a fin-like tip. There is no aftercastle. The quarter rudder is triangular in shape, oversized and oddly oriented. The mast is amidships, with a bisected V top (karchesion), a forestay, a backstay, and a rectangular mast step system.

**General description:** (Side A) A horse facing left with a bridle, a bird on its back, and a large fish between its front legs. There is an X filling the space below the horse's body; (Side B) Ship facing right. Two large antithetical birds flank the forestay and backstay respectively. The space between the mast and each stay is filled by an X. A large fish to the right swims below;

Basch, L. 1987. Le musée imaginaire de la marine antique. Athens: Institut Hellénique pour la preservation de la tradition nautique.

Cherici, A. 2006. “Talassocrazia: aspetti tecnici, economici, politici con un brevissimo cenno a Novilara, Nesazio e ai Feaci,” Annali della Fondazione per il Museo “Claudio Faina” 13: 439-482.

Hampe, R. 1936. Frühe griechische Sagenbilder in Böotien, Ate¬ne : Deutsches archäologisches institute.

Morrison, J.S. and R.T. Williams. 1968. Greek Oared Ships: 900-322 B.C. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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