Tektaş Burnu Ship Research
A Classical Greek shipwreck, dating to the fifth century B.C. was excavated between 1999 and 2001 by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. The shipwreck at Tektaş Burnu (or Lone Rock Cape) was found off a rough desolate stretch of coast situated directly south of the Greek island of Chios and southwest of Sigacik (ancient Theos). Presently dated to 440-425 B.C., the shipwreck is an important addition to the archaeological evidence from a limited corpus of Mediterranean ships dating to the Archaic and Classical periods.
As the first Classical shipwreck to be fully excavated in Aegean waters, the ship's hull would have added valuable information to the meager evidence on shipbuilding techniques of the period. Unfortunately, hardly any diagnostic hull timbers have survived. Of the ship itself only copper nails, small fragments of wood, and two marble ship's eyes were recovered.
Although, the hull remains of the Tektaş Burnu ship are scanty, an in-depth study of the copper nails and numerous small wood fragments of the ship provide additional information on constructional features and shipbuilding methods in the fifth century B.C. The Tektaş Burnu ship was a modest sized merchantman for its day measuring about 14 m in length. Its pine planks and frames were held together with oak tenons and copper nails.
It seems that the mortise-and-tenon construction method of the Tektaş Burnu ship is most similar to the 400-B.C. Ma'agan Michael ship, excavated off the coast of Israel and thought by its excavators to be of northern Aegean origin. However, unlike the latter, the nails of the Tektaş Burnu ship securing the frames to the planking were hammered through treenails made of soft and hardwoods.
