THE YENIKAPI 17 SHIPWRECK FOUND IN THE HARBOUR OF THEODOSIUS AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON ITS CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

In this article, preliminary results on general features, type, function, origin and construction technology of Yenikapi (YK) 17 shipwreck, which was uncovered in one of the largest commercial harbours of the Byzantine period, have been evaluated. Dating between 8-9 centuries AD, the wreck was found without its cargo, rigging and anchor equipment. The coarse stones found on board have been considered as the ballast improving the stability of the ship. Surviving portion of the hull represents one end of the port or starboard bottom of the original ship. On the basis of its dimensions, hull form, and the features of extant hull members the wreck has been identified as a cargo carrier or a merchantmen which bears the characteristic flat bottom profile and rounded hull shape of the period. The fragmentary archaeological evidence limits the discussion on ship's origin or homeport. YK 17 is one of the earliest and a rare example of a non-planking edge fastened ship in the Mediterranean. Hull members suggest that the ship was built with a combined technique of shell and skeleton construction traditions reflecting the technological transformation in Mediterranean shipbuilding during the 1st millennium AD.