I am an interdisciplinary maritime historian whose interests include Indian Ocean littoral societies, with a particular focus on shipbuilding, seafaring and navigation. I have been actively involved in a variety of maritime archaeology and experimental archaeology projects, including the construction and sailing of the sewn-plank replica Jewel of Muscat across the Indian Ocean.
This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Midd... more This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Middle Islamic periods (630-1507 CE), as it became integrated into a larger series of emerging maritime networks in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. In particular, it emphasizes the shifting a series of relationships with East Africa, South Asia, Iraq and the Iranian mainland, highlighting the increasing cultural diversity of the Islamic Indian Ocean littoral societies reflected in Oman. Trade prospered as direct trade with China and India flourished, and Oman became increasingly integrated into both East African, Southwest Asian and Indian economies. It also examines the diverse political landscape as Islamic maritime societies became a dominant force in the Indian Ocean, and polities shifted from Caliphal tributary states and Imamates to merchant city states.
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Mar 9, 2014
ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or... more ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
The sixteenth-century Yemeni navigator Sulaymān al-Mahrī is one of the two main Arab authors writ... more The sixteenth-century Yemeni navigator Sulaymān al-Mahrī is one of the two main Arab authors writing on maritime navigation in the Indian Ocean in the early modern and pre-modern periods. While he is generally known to have written five treatises on various aspects of the navigational sciences, he is also in fact the author of a sixth work, entitled Mirʾāt al-salāk li-kurāt al-aflāk (Mirror of Travellers into the Heavenly Spheres). Unlike his other works, Mirʾāt al-salāk is an introduction to astronomical concepts and practices that has previously been largely ignored by scholars on the subject. This article provides an introductory discussion of this text, situating it within its broader literary context, both within previous astronomical literature as well as the corpus of al-Mahrī's other navigational works. It presents the ninth chapter of the work in particular in order to explore al-Mahrī's familiarity with historical mathematical astronomical practices. Collectively, the work is an interesting textual example of the connection between navigational and mathematical astronomical knowledge.
Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq.... more Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Midd... more This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Middle Islamic periods (630-1507 CE), as it became integrated into a larger series of emerging maritime networks in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. In particular, it emphasizes the shifting a series of relationships with East Africa, South Asia, Iraq and the Iranian mainland, highlighting the increasing cultural diversity of the Islamic Indian Ocean littoral societies reflected in Oman. Trade prospered as direct trade with China and India flourished, and Oman became increasingly integrated into both East African, Southwest Asian and Indian economies. It also examines the diverse political landscape as Islamic maritime societies became a dominant force in the Indian Ocean, and polities shifted from Caliphal tributary states and Imamates to merchant city states.
Objective The objective of the article is to address the following fundamental questions: First, ... more Objective The objective of the article is to address the following fundamental questions: First, to what extent can Bronze Age maritime technology in Mesopotamia and the Gulf be considered an example of historical innovation, given the limited set of evidence? Second, what are the challenges of effectively measuring and analyzing maritime technological “innovation” in this period? Third, what methodologies have been recently developed to help us better understand these innovations? Methods The method relies on historical‐archaeological analysis of the evidence as well as experimental archaeological reconstruction. Results The study suggest that while the archaeological and textual evidence clearly shows that innovations took place, the paucity of that evidence limits any detailed analysis of innovation. Conclusion Due to the limited data currently available to us, maritime experimental archaeology provides the best methodology for potentially understanding these innovations until further archaeological discoveries are made related to the subject.
This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Midd... more This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Middle Islamic periods (630-1507 CE), as it became integrated into a larger series of emerging maritime networks in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. In particular, it emphasizes the shifting a series of relationships with East Africa, South Asia, Iraq and the Iranian mainland, highlighting the increasing cultural diversity of the Islamic Indian Ocean littoral societies reflected in Oman. Trade prospered as direct trade with China and India flourished, and Oman became increasingly integrated into both East African, Southwest Asian and Indian economies. It also examines the diverse political landscape as Islamic maritime societies became a dominant force in the Indian Ocean, and polities shifted from Caliphal tributary states and Imamates to merchant city states.
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Mar 9, 2014
ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or... more ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
The sixteenth-century Yemeni navigator Sulaymān al-Mahrī is one of the two main Arab authors writ... more The sixteenth-century Yemeni navigator Sulaymān al-Mahrī is one of the two main Arab authors writing on maritime navigation in the Indian Ocean in the early modern and pre-modern periods. While he is generally known to have written five treatises on various aspects of the navigational sciences, he is also in fact the author of a sixth work, entitled Mirʾāt al-salāk li-kurāt al-aflāk (Mirror of Travellers into the Heavenly Spheres). Unlike his other works, Mirʾāt al-salāk is an introduction to astronomical concepts and practices that has previously been largely ignored by scholars on the subject. This article provides an introductory discussion of this text, situating it within its broader literary context, both within previous astronomical literature as well as the corpus of al-Mahrī's other navigational works. It presents the ninth chapter of the work in particular in order to explore al-Mahrī's familiarity with historical mathematical astronomical practices. Collectively, the work is an interesting textual example of the connection between navigational and mathematical astronomical knowledge.
Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq.... more Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Midd... more This chapter discusses Oman’s role in the rise of maritime activity during the Early through Middle Islamic periods (630-1507 CE), as it became integrated into a larger series of emerging maritime networks in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. In particular, it emphasizes the shifting a series of relationships with East Africa, South Asia, Iraq and the Iranian mainland, highlighting the increasing cultural diversity of the Islamic Indian Ocean littoral societies reflected in Oman. Trade prospered as direct trade with China and India flourished, and Oman became increasingly integrated into both East African, Southwest Asian and Indian economies. It also examines the diverse political landscape as Islamic maritime societies became a dominant force in the Indian Ocean, and polities shifted from Caliphal tributary states and Imamates to merchant city states.
Objective The objective of the article is to address the following fundamental questions: First, ... more Objective The objective of the article is to address the following fundamental questions: First, to what extent can Bronze Age maritime technology in Mesopotamia and the Gulf be considered an example of historical innovation, given the limited set of evidence? Second, what are the challenges of effectively measuring and analyzing maritime technological “innovation” in this period? Third, what methodologies have been recently developed to help us better understand these innovations? Methods The method relies on historical‐archaeological analysis of the evidence as well as experimental archaeological reconstruction. Results The study suggest that while the archaeological and textual evidence clearly shows that innovations took place, the paucity of that evidence limits any detailed analysis of innovation. Conclusion Due to the limited data currently available to us, maritime experimental archaeology provides the best methodology for potentially understanding these innovations until further archaeological discoveries are made related to the subject.
The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2019
Sewn‐plank vessels have been a pervasive form of ship construction since antiquity. This paper pr... more Sewn‐plank vessels have been a pervasive form of ship construction since antiquity. This paper provides an introductory overview of the current state of the field of sewn‐plank studies, with a particular focus on the Indian Ocean. It describes the basic function of sewn‐plank techniques, and then discusses textual references and historical approaches to the topic. The relevant archaeological evidence is reviewed, and prior ethnographic work relating to the topic is outlined. It summarizes numerous experimental sewn‐plank reconstructions that have been undertaken and concludes with a discussion of the current directions of the field and suggestions for the future.
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2014
ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or... more ABSTRACT Most of the traditional boats still in use in Musandam, Oman, are essentially batātīl or zawārīq. Both types of vessel are described and compared in detail and placed within the larger context of boat types found in the surrounding region. This article attempts to establish a classification based primarily on shape, construction and decorative features, and provides names of individual components in both in Arabic and Kumzari.
The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2019
This paper discusses three medieval sewn-plank reconstructions undertaken in the Sultanate of Oma... more This paper discusses three medieval sewn-plank reconstructions undertaken in the Sultanate of Oman in the past 40 years: the Sohar, Jewel of Muscat, and al-Hariri Boat. It describes the specific methods of sewn-plank construction for each vessel and examines the different methods of documentation applied during the three projects. It concludes with a comparison of the data derived from single-wadding (al-Hariri Boat) and double-wadding (Jewel of Muscat) sewing techniques to highlight the differences between the two methods and emphasize the importance of documenting such reconstructions.
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