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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.
A small number of actual vessels, most especially the two solar boats (Khufu I and II) found beside the Great Pyramid of Giza, have thrown light on the methods used to construct vessels in the Fourth Dynasty. A chapter headed ‘Khufu II’ gives detailed information about the construction of the deck structures on the second of Khufu’s solar boats, pointing out the differences from equivalent structures on Khufu I. One of the many interesting points made by the author is that each of the side panels of the deckhouse on Khufu II appears to have been made by a different team of craftsmen. The description of the sophisticated carpentry employed by the ancient workmen is followed by an account of an experiment undertaken by the author to replicate some of the ancient joints.
The book is profusely illustrated, with more than 530 line-drawings and monochrome and colour photographs depicting each of the features mentioned in the text. For anyone studying ancient Egyptian watercraft, their depiction in petroglyphs or on Predynastic pottery, and the carpentry used in constructing the surviving Old Kingdom craft, this will be a very valuable reference work.
A Categorisation of Ancient Egyptian Watercraft, from Predynastic Petroglyphs to the Khufu Boats
by Michael Allen Stephens
Bar Publishing, 2024
ISBN 978-1-4073-6157-4
Paperback, £63
