Ancient Mediterranean

Digital Project

Sailing ship

Cat. No.

C97

Date

LC III (Schaeffer Chypriote Fer I: 1200-1050 B.C.)

Findspot

Enkomi, French tomb 6

Dimensions

H: 1.5 cm

Medium

conoid stamp seal, grey-greenish steatite, pierced for suspension

Accession Number

seal 107

References

Schaeffer 1952: 71, fig. 22; Wachsmann 1998: 175-76, fig. 8.21

Crescentic narrow hull with symmetrical vertical posts. The gunwale is concave. The ship is under sail, with a straight yard extending from post to post. The two vertical lines are difficult to interpret, they are too spread apart to represent the mast. The ship is most probably of the mnš type.

From an intact tomb (French tomb T. 6) with ten estimated burials in total, of which at least five adults, two being a couple. The man of the pair had two conoid seals on his chest, one showing a bull, and the other a ship. Kenna sees a possible influence from North Syria/Levantine coast in the motif of the conoid with the bull (Kenna 1968: 11). The occupants of the tomb were possibly involved in Enkomi's copper trade, since the tomb is particularly rich in bronze objects (14 bowls, 3 mirrors).

Schaeffer, C.F.A. 1952. Enkomi – Alasia: nouvelles missions en Chypre, 1946-1950. Paris: C. Klincksieck.

Wachsmann, S. 1998. Seagoing Ships & Seamanship in the Bronze Age Levant. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press.

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