BABESCH - THE ANNUAL BYVANCK LECTURE

.
The evidence for the cedar-built ship's origin comes from the 24 stone anchors it carried, which were fashioned from beach rock found along the Carmel Coast, and the ship's pottery galley wares made of clay fabrics also originating from this region. A bronze female statuette and an ivory trumpet aboard are also of Canaanite origin, as are the oil lamps used aboard, revealing the crews preference for this lamp type over the more abundant Cypriot variety in pristine condition carried aboard the ship as cargo. The ship and its cargo appear to represent a royal dispatch of enormously rich and valuable raw materials and manufactured goods almost certainly shipped to a single destination. The venture was probably entrusted to an official or messenger who carried prestige gifts of ivory, tin, and faience to be presented to the elites receiving the cargo. Personal items of Mycenaean origin point to the presence of two individuals aboard the ship who were probably escorting the goods on the ship to a Mycenaean port. That these Mycenaeans were not merchants engaged in trade is revealed by the absence of personal balance weights based on the Aegean mass standard; such weights were essential for conducting long-distance commerce in pre-coinage societies. An Aegean connection for the Uluburun ship that extends into the northern Balkans is evidenced by the recovery from the wreck of several spears and a rare ceremonial scepter-mace from Bulgaria or Romania, and perhaps also by a sword of southern Italian type.
This remarkable shipwreck clearly demonstrates how Near Eastern raw materials and manufactured goods were dispersed through maritime routes to the Aegean and regions beyond during the Late Bronze Age. Trade was an integral part of life during this time, serving not only as a way of obtaining raw materials not available locally, but also as a means of diplomacy and fostering extensive cultural exchange, giving merchants extended contact with foreign ways and goods.

Excavations at the wreck were conducted beginning in 1984 by a research team led by Texas A&M's Institute of Nautical Archaeology, and directed by Cemal Pulak and George F. Bass.

Prof. Cemal Pulak

Prof. Pulak holds the Frederick R. Mayer Fellowship in Nautical Archaeology. He is also the Vice-President of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) in Turkey. Prof. Pulak specializes in Bronze Age seafaring, maritime trade, and technology, and is currently involved with the research and publication of his latest shipwreck excavation, the Late Bronze Age shipwreck at Uluburun, Turkey.
His related areas of interest are ship construction, seafaring, and nautical archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean from prehistory to post-medieval times. Since entering the field of nautical archaeology in 1975, Prof. Pulak has excavated three shipwreck sites, ranging in date from the Late Bronze Age through the 16th century A.D., and participated in the excavation and underwater investigation of many other shipwrecks. He has been directing INA's annual shipwreck surveys in Turkey since 1982, and has conducted extensive research in the Mediterranean and the Aegean. The results of his research have been published widely in professional and popular publications. His teaching interests include undergraduate and graduate courses in nautical archaeology.

Fik Meijer, emeritus professor of Ancient History at the University of Amsterdam, specialized in naval history, will introduce the lecture and give the opportunity for questions and discussion afterwards.

Held for the first time in 2007, the Byvanck Lecture is the result of a generous donation from the bequest of the late Lily Byvanck-Quarles van Ufford, who has for many years been the driving force of our periodical BABESCH (formerly Bulletin Antieke Beschaving). The foundation set up in her name aims to further the scholarship of Archaeology and the quality of the publication she held so dear - in other words for the past to have a future, and so continue her work.

The subject of the Byvanck Lecture alternates each year between Greek and Roman.

The Byvanck Lecture is organised in conjunction with the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, and thanks to the Byvanck Foundation the admission is free. The museum will be open from 7.30 PM and the lecture will start at 8 PM.

For optimal organization, we appreciate confirmation of your attendance by contacting the secretary of the BABESCH Foundation, Prof. Dr. R.F. Docter

e-mail: r.f. docter
or Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium

We look forward to sharing the past with you in the future.
.