REVIEW BY J PETER PHILLIPS
This extremely detailed and complex work is exactly what it says on the cover, and supplements the author’s previous books, published by BAR in 2012 and 2022, which categorise watercraft of the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.
Stephens begins by recounting the various attempts that have been made previously to categorise Predynastic and Early Dynastic (PED) Egyptian ships and boats, and points out that these have been based on indirect sources such as petroglyphs, depictions on pottery vessels (many of which are now thought to be modern forgeries), tomb models, and Early Dynastic rock-cut and brick-built boats. The resulting systems have overlapped with one another and been too complex, with little evidence to distinguish between types. The classifications of some vessels from other civilisations have been included, leading to theories of a ‘dynastic race’ that have since been discarded.
Rather than focusing on the development of the petroglyphs and painted images, the author concentrates on classifying the vessels themselves. Having established the various categories (PED 1 to PED 17) of vessels by their hull shape, he then goes on to distinguish types by their other features, such as: totems, finials, and figureheads; masts and rigging; and deck structures. He includes chapters dealing with hull construction and paddling, rowing and towing.
Excavating the Lowlands and Borders