Page 115 - TINA Dergi Sayi 09

TINA

Maritime Archaeology Periodical

Documentation through compilation of photomosaics, reconstruction began with mounting the frames on the
and collection of visual data are performed for the ships keel using pins. The next step some of the frames, and
that are under examination. Additionally, the construc- the ones that were reconstructed to be at their original
tion techniques and conservation of the ships are studied heights were adhered on the keel. Other frames that are
as part of doctoral theses. The ship construction technol- available were adhered between the previous ones, and
ogy studies are aiming at determining the lost elements in their original spots according to the drawing. The
of the ship through the examination of the available balsa plates cut out according to the planking outline
parts, and revealing the relations between the building drawings were placed underneath these frames and
elements of the vessel based on the data in hand. fastened. The gunwale that was identified the calculat-
As a result of all these studies, the ships found at the ed length and width of the ships and vessels, and the
Theodosian Harbour which provides us a frozen time- pitch angles of the plankings were cut out of a thin plate
frame from the past, will then be contributing with in- of balsa, then was bonded on the frames and the keel.
formation on the shipbuilding technology and its devel- The corresponding sections on replicas were painted in
opment during the Antiquity and the Medieval Age. The black in order to mark the remaining original parts of
shipwrecks excavated at Yenikapı dated between 5th ships and vessels. (fig. 5)
and 11th centuries BC can be categorized in two groups, The opening of the exhibition of shipwreck replicas
based on their purpose of use. The first group is repre- which revived the soul of Yenikapi as a result of Asst.
sented by merchant ships in different sizes. The second Assoc. Dr. Işıl Özsait-Kocabaş’s meticulous work was
group consists of galleys with and without oars. on 22nd November 2017 at the Ship reconstruction
reSeArCH rePLICAS OF YenİKAPI SHIPwreCKS and Conservation Laboratory of İstanbul University.
replicas made by Asst. Prof. Işıl Özsait-Kocabaş from The exhibition included 21 replicas of shipwrecks,
Department of Conservation of Marine Archaeological the photoblocks displaying the construction phase of
Objects Faculty of Letters, of Istanbul University, are the these replicas and the photographs documenting the in
products of a preliminary study performed for determin- situ status of the shipwrecks. Cem Akgün, Emre Şener,
ing the exact dimensions of shipwrecks from Yenikapı. Hilal Güler and Mehmet Sağır of Yenikapı excavations
Thanks to the study that aimed at the restitution of ship- team contributed to the preparation of replicas for the
wrecks the AutoCAD drawings that were made using the exhibition.
in situ measurements by Total Station, the photo-mosaics The exhibition of replicas offers a 3-D and compa-
and land photography were evaluated. The replicas made rable display of the variety of the Yenikapı shipwrecks
with a scale of 1:20 will become the source for under- in terms of size and forms that sank in different times
standing the construction technique of the shipwrecks over a period of 600 years. The replicas clearly demon-
and their reconstructions. strate the differences between the merchant ships of
replica building work began by obtaining printouts different lengths where the shortest one is 9 meters
of the drawings of reconstructed frames and keels, and long and the galleys reaching to a length of 30 meters.
the planking outline drawings made with rhinoceros on The exhibition was open to visit between November
a 1:20 scale. The printout of each building element then 22 and December 8, 2017 and we decided to make it
was drawn on a piece of balsa wood with the original permanent, considering its visual contribution to the
thickness measurement; then was delicately cut out. The laboratory and its informative value. n

Fig. 5

Fig. 4: Laboratuvarda kimyasal temizlik uygulaması
Fig. 4: Chemical cleansing at the lab.
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