Rhodes 1, mid-13th century
Country: Greece
Place: Central Port of Rhodes, 80 m west of the Pier of Angels
Coordinates (approximate): 36.4400, 28.2300
Type: Long, narrow, bottom-based vessel, possibly a rowing vessel similar to contemporary longships
Identified: No
Dated: Mid-thirteenth century, by radiocarbon dating
Beam: Unknown.
Keel Length: Not applicable (plank keel).
Length Overall: Unknown.
Number of Masts: Unknown.
History of the wreck
Rhodes has three adjacent harbours, among them Mandraki, one of the oldest continuously used ports of the eastern Mediterranean (Georgiadis 2012: 192). The Central and Akandia ports are used today mainly by cruise ships and other large vessels, which damage the wrecks lost inside the harbour. Surveys by the Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities in 2007-2008 found three wrecks inside the Central Port (Koutsouflakis and Rieth 2017: 1).
Rhodes 1 was discovered in October 2007, 80 m west of the Pier of Angels. Radiocarbon dating places it in the middle of the thirteenth century, a troubled period when the island passed between Latin (Genoese) and Byzantine rulers (Koutsouflakis 2017: 479, 482). The wreck was destroyed by harbour activity after it was first recorded, so no further work is possible (Koutsouflakis 2017: 482).
See also the fiches of Rhodes 2 (Med298) and Rhodes 4 (Med275), found in the same port.
Description of the site
The wreck lay in the Central Port, 80 m west of the Pier of Angels. It was destroyed by harbour activity after its initial recording (Koutsouflakis 2017: 482).
Cargo
Not reported.
Ballast
Not reported.
Anchors
Not reported.
Guns
Not reported.
Iron concretions
Not reported.
Hull Remains
About three-fifths of the hull survived. The vessel was relatively long and narrow and was built on a plank keel, following a bottom-based method. One fragmentary end resembles that of the early fourteenth-century barge Boccalama A from the Venetian lagoon (Koutsouflakis 2017: 480-481).
The hull had a flat floor and round bilges, suggesting that it could work in coastal waters and was not limited to harbour use. Despite its barge-like features, the narrow, rounded shape suggests a rowing vessel similar to contemporary longships (Koutsouflakis 2017: 480-481).
Keel, keelson and mast step
Plank keel. The central keelson was bolted to the keel plank between the floor timbers (Koutsouflakis 2017: 480-481).
Frames
Each frame has a floor timber nailed to an overlapping futtock, without a scarf. The floor timbers are generally square, but their thickness varies along the hull (Koutsouflakis 2017: 480-481).
Planking
Not reported.
Ceiling, thick stuff, and wales
Not reported.
Caulking
Not reported.
Size and scantlings
No measurements are given.
Wood
Not reported.
Bibliography
Georgiadis, C. 2012. [Full reference to be completed.]
Koutsouflakis, G. 2017. “Three medieval shipwrecks.” [Full reference to be completed.]
Koutsouflakis, G., and Rieth, E. 2017. [Full reference to be completed.]
Bendig, C. 2021. [Full reference to be completed.]