New Evidence for the Steering System of the EgyptianBaris(Herodotus 2.96)

Abstract

A sentence of the well‐known and widely debated fragment 2.96 of Herodotus' History (c.450 BC) is devoted to the steering system of a baris, a type of Nile cargo boat. According to Herodotus, the rudder passed through the keel of the boat. The axial rudder was known in Egypt from the 6th Dynasty (c.2323–2150 BC) and can be traced through representations and models till the end of the Pharaonic period and beyond; however, no archaeological evidence for this type of rudder had ever been found. The recent excavation of Ship 17 of Thonis‐Heracleion, dated to the Late Period (664–332 BC), reveal numerous parallels between the construction of this boat and Herodotus' description and cast light on the steering system of the baris.

A New Type of Construction Evidenced by Ship 17 of Thonis-Heracleion

“…The rudder‐stock passed through one of the two shafts cut in the aftermost segment of the proto‐keel of Ship 17. Here again, the information provided by Herodotus is corroborated by the evidence of Ship 17 (Belov, ).…”

“…A parallel with papyrus rafts, which is very prominent for some aspects of Egyptian shipbuilding, seems to be pertinent in this case, as these pieces bunch the strakes in a similar way to the bundles of papyrus are tied together at the extremities of a raft (for raft construction see Landström, : 17–9). Also at this stage, the housings for two shafts for the axial rudder were cut in the stern segment of the keel, K1, seen in the specific box‐like configuration of segment K1 (Belov, ). Thus the boatbuilders started with a clear idea of the draught of the constructed craft and of its final position in the water.…”

“…Among the features which allow us to classify Ship 17 as a freighter can be noted the choice of the hardwood acacia as a boatbuilding material, the ruggedness and strength of the thick planking, the strong asymmetry of all constructional details, the absence of a deck, and the presence of an axial rudder. The methods used for assembling the planking and making the hull watertight seem to be very similar in the two ships, as do the steering systems (Belov, 2014a). These similarities strongly suggest that Ship 17 belongs to the same generic type as the baris, and justify an attempt to outline the major characteristics of this previously archaeologically unattested construction type.…”

The Depositional Contexts of the Ships from Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt

“…Ten half‐frames, or bracing timbers, were also found, which may have only been added to particular areas of the hull to provide further strengthening during the use of the vessel on the river. Ship 17 was steered using an axial rudder with two circular openings for the steering oar (Belov, ) and has a step for a mast towards the centre of the vessel.…”

Did Ancient Egyptian Ships have Keels? The evidence of Thonis‐Heracleion Ship 17

“…The segments are made of squared logs of acacia ( Acacia nilotica , A. raddiana ). The length of the segments varies between 1.62 and 3.05 m. The longest segment K1 at the stern contains two shafts for an axial rudder (Belov, : 3–9). In the middle of the central segment K6 there is a mortise destined to receive the spur of the mast.…”