Page 113 - TINA Dergi Sayi 09

TINA NEWS

Maritime Archaeology Periodical

Fig. 2: Kazı alanında belgeleme çalışması
Fig. 2: Documentation at the excavation site

The salvage excavations conducted in Yenikapı by The thirty-seven shipwrecks that have been discov-
the İstanbul Archaeology Museums revealed the Har- ered so far in the Yenikapı excavations of the Marma-
bour of Theodosius, the most important harbour of the ray-Subway hub are dated to the Early and Middle
Byzantine Period in the Marmara Sea (fig. 1). The Byzantine Periods. The shipwrecks are of great im-
archaeologists continued their excavations in an area portance not only because they represent the largest
of fifty-eight thousand square meters, which is, today, group of shipwrecks from these periods, but also they
about 500 meters from the shore. The documentation, are well preserved and have survived to this day. The
conservation and reconstruction of the most of these plankings running along the waterline level in majority
excavated shipwrecks are being carried out by the Di- of the shipwrecks enabled us to integrate the informa-
vision of Conservation of Marine Archaeological Ob- tion about their design, and provided a lot of data on
jects, Faculty of Literature, İstanbul University. their construction techniques, which were unknown so
far. The features of these vessels and ships were the
main factor in guiding our documentation method.
We initially took in situ measurements, followed by
in situ-documentation supported by photographs and
visual notes. Following all the documentation proce-
dures in the field, we started dismantling of the timber
elements that formed the hull. One of the reasons for
this decision was to determine the construction method
by dismantling the parts, and unveiling the concealed
details of joints (fig. 2-3)
During the ongoing works on the parts transferred
from the field to the laboratory, 1:1 drawing of each
part was created, displaying the tool marks, notches,
and joints on the wooden surfaces that indicated ship-
building technology of the period. It made it possible
to make comments on their construction techniques.
Documentation works supported by visual notes
helped determine the differences in shapes between
the ship elements, construction plan, design, use of
metal and wood, tool marks, repairs and the technolo-
gy used (fig. 4).
After completion of the excavations, we continued
with documentation and conservation works of the
shipwrecks at the Yenikapı Shipwrecks research Lab-
oratory. Then, following completion of their full-scale
drawings, and cataloging we started chemical impreg-
nation procedure for the ships.
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