Reconstructing a Roman Warship

[Praefectusclassis]

The town of Millingen a/d Rijn, The Netherlands (on the Dutch German border) has decided to reconstruct an early Imperial Roman river warship. This will be a very costly project, but almost miraculously, they have been granted a starting grant of 250,000 euros by the Province of Gelderland. Yours truly has been enlisted as historical advisor...

Looks like the Classis Germanica will sail again!

[Virilis]

Yours truly has been enlisted as historical advisor...

You lucky b......! :wink:
Great news, Jasper! It is always a little miracle to have funding on such projects in our current world...

[aitor iriarte]

Good!
I hope we shall be able to watch the whole proccess at at a website... 8)

Aitor

[Dan Diffendale]

hock: Io Triumphe!

Congrats!

time to start putting in more time on the rowing machine...

[Robert]

Salve Omnes,

There is a catch! The Liberna, the type of vessel they will be reconstructing, is a bireme only known from the Trajan column. Unfortunately, unlike other warships, the liberna has never been excavated in these parts of the world, although it is reputed to be the backbone of the classis. The site of the Mainz museum offers a reconstruction http://www2.rgzm.de/navis/Musea/Mainz/NavismusEngl.htm
halfway down the page and on RAT someone has posted a link to a 3D computer reconstruction, I copied some pics, but can't relocate the site. :oops:
A shipbuilder in Holland, Kees Sars (Sars Houtbouw), has done some calculations for the themeparc I'm working on to build two sailing versions of the Oberstimm ships. He recreated the cargoship build for the Archeon. Perhaps worth contacting him, he has good references and is well known in Mainz and Lelystad (NISA). From what I have gleaned from the newspapers here, this will be a non-sailing replica. So practice can be postponed. Mind you, rowing a bireme with 50 men is a Herculean task!
But the bright side is ... Interest in the Roman past of the Netherlands is on the rise. Rejoyce!!!

[Praefectusclassis]

Doh, of course there are catches, academically speaking, but that's why the hired me of course. That is no guarantee for a perfect reconstruction, but perhaps for a reasonable one at least.
And, btw, as far as I know it IS going to be a sailing vessel.

[Caius Fabius]

this is fantastic!

[Celer]

Salve,

Perhaps this could be turned into the ultimate RAT get-together/rowing holiday - 50 men in a boat.

Celer.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

cool!!!!!!!!! maybe i can drop by one day to see your progress!!!!!

is it based on the Utrecht shipfinds?



or will it be like this one?



PS: put this on the bow!!!, and a bronze Ram!!!



M.VIB.M.

btw does that Greek triera reconstruction still exist????

[Robert Vermaat]

Perhaps this could be turned into the ultimate RAT get-together/rowing holiday - 50 men in a boat.

Cool! But I doubt that it will be ready before the next RAT conference next year...

is it based on the Utrecht shipfinds?

That's a freighter, so I doubt it...

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

a military freighter mind you!

M.VIB.M.

[Dan Diffendale]

or will it be like this one?

The second ship you posted is the reconstruction of a navis lusoria, and it dates a couple hundred years later than the proposed liburna.

btw does that Greek triera reconstruction still exist????

According to the Trireme Trust's latest newsletter (October 2006), "Olympias has returned to her permanent display site as part of the Hellenic Navy Museum... near the Piraeus. She now has a new shelter, which should protect her from the sun and the rain and keep her looking good with only routine maintenance for the foreseeable future. All this means, of course, that Olympias herself is unlikely to go to sea again, except perhaps for short ceremonial occasions like the Olympics..."

In other news, "The best bet for any future sea-trials would... be to build a second ship and Doug Lindsay... continues to pursue possibilities for funding such a ship."

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

That would be so lovely to see her row again!!

i am still waiting on a very Rich bugger who wants to build a Roman Quincereme.........

not happening in rthe forseeable future i guess......

M.VIB.M.

[Robert]

Victoria!! The link was found:

http://home.arcor.de/berzelmayr/bireme.html

This is the liburna 3D reconstructed in all its glory. I did notice the newspaper had used one of these pictures, quoting the source as the municipality of Millingen, so presumably the person who made this reconstruction is involved as well.
Does anyone have any knowledge of a liberna being excavated elswhere?? The NAVIS site is really good for finding ships, but sometimes awaits the scientific evaluation before posting. The Mainz site links to the NAVIS site, both are excellent. MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS, this type of vessel is bigger then the Mainz B you posted and yes, it does have a ram! It also has a castle up front, supporting archers or even a ballista.

I really envy Jasper, but it probably couldn't happen to a nicer guy

[Robert]

And another link to a site on triremes and biremes with a lot of good links:

http://home-3.tiscali.nl/~meester7/engtrireme.html

This guy made a study on the seating arrangement and oarlenght.