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David Blackman

University of Oxford, Classical Archaeology, Emeritus

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Maritime archaeologist with special interest in the development of harbours since antiquity. Related interest in the use of harbour installations as sealevel indicators.Active since the 1970s in the campaign which led to the Unesco Convention on the Underwater cultural heritage, and in the effort to persuade some of the major maritime states [like the UK] to ratify this Convention

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Monash University

Armando Marques-Guedes

UNL - New University of Lisbon

Università di Bologna

Yannis Hamilakis

Brown University

Laurajane Smith

The Australian National University

Field Museum

Francesco Camia

Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma

University of Toronto

University of Massachusetts Amherst

José d'Encarnação

Universidade de Coimbra

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Papers by David Blackman

Under the Mediterranean I: Studies in Maritime Archaeology

Palestine Exploration Quarterly

Greek Archaeology in Western Asia Minor

Archaeological Reports for, 1964

... On these coasts Peter Throckmorton and Miss Honor Frost, in collaboration with Mustafa Kapkin... more

The Excavation of an Early Minoan Tholos Tomb at Ayia Kyriaki, Ayiofarango, Southern Crete

The Annual of the British School at Athens, Nov 1, 1982

An Archaeological Survey on the South Coast of Crete, between the Ayiofarango and Chrisostomos

The Annual of the British School at Athens, Nov 1, 1975

This or the nearby tomb (SC3) are the likeliest sources of the EM II pottery 'from Kaloi Limenes,... more This or the nearby tomb (SC3) are the likeliest sources of the EM II pottery 'from Kaloi Limenes, clearly from a looted prepalatial tomb', which reached Herakleion Museum in 1964: Alexiou, ADelt xx (1965) Chron. 3, 552; cf. Branigan, The Tombs of Mesara 172, no. 78, where the reference must be corrected (also, nos. 18-19 are less likely, being close to Lasaia). The same is probably true of many of the other EM objects which have reached the Museum and the Metaxas Collection in recent years from 'the Kaloi Limenes area': Alexiou, ADelt xix (1964) Chron. 3, 439; xx (1965) Chron. 3, 551; xxi (1966) Chron. 2, 406; xxii (1967) Chron. 2, 482. However, the EM tombs in the Ayiofarango catchment area cannot be excluded; cf. the seals acquired by the Metaxas Collection whose provenance is given as Pigaidakia: I. A. Sakellarakis, ADelt xx (1965) Chron. 3, 563. 4 Op. cit. 170. 5 See n. 1.

Archaeology in Western Asia Minor 1965-70

Archaeological Reports for, 1970

Page 1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORTS FOR I970-7I ARCHAEOLOGY IN WESTERN ASIA MINOR i965-70 The increase... more

Hammond, Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière (1907–2001), Greek scholar

The Harbour at Perachora

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 1966

The harbour was described briefly by Payne. As he says, the enclosed part is extremely small and ... more The harbour was described briefly by Payne. As he says, the enclosed part is extremely small and now much silted up. Even if it was much deeper in antiquity it can never have had room for more than two or three boats, and we may presume that ships normally anchored outside in the small bay, protected from the north and north-west wind, and only entered the harbour to disembark men or goods. No large ships could have entered the harbour at all; the small craft (lembi) used to ferry Philocles' force across to Lechaion in 198 B.C. would have been most suitable.

Roman Port Societies: The Evidence of Inscriptions

Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2021

Seismic coastal uplift and subsidence in Rhodes Island, Aegean Arc: Evidence from an uplifted ancient harbour

Tectonophysics, 2014

Archaeological evidence from a 2400 years old harbour, currently about 3 m above sea-level, sheds... more Archaeological evidence from a 2400 years old harbour, currently about 3 m above sea-level, sheds light on an enigmatic sequence of coastal uplift and subsidence along the coasts of Rhodes Island, close to a N 4 km deep trough marking the east edge of the Aegean Arc. The tectonics of this area are not clear, because of the absence of major earthquakes in the last 80 years, but are likely to be controlled by a combination of shear and compression producing strong earthquakes, some associated with tsunamis and some with thrust-uplifted notches. The latter, up to 6000 years old, also show evidence of phases of subsidence. Our study focuses on remains of shipsheds, in particular a ramp used to pull warships out of the water and keep them protected under cover during winter. This ramp was constructed between approximately 250-225 BC and some decades later it was repaved, after a major earthquake destroyed the town of Rhodes and most probably the harbour and sheltered ships, as historical evidence reveals. 300 years later the harbour was to a great part abandoned because of a coastal uplift. The only reasonable explanation for the ramp reconstruction was to counteract a 1 m seismic subsidence at around 220 BC or earlier. Several possible explanations can be proposed for the earthquake which produced seismic subsidence alternating with uplift in Rhodes, in a pattern of vertical motions different from that observed in Crete, or other convergent boundaries.

Archaeology in Greece 1996-97

Archaeological Reports, 1997

Page 1. ARCHAEOLOGY IN GREECE 1996-97 INTRODUCTION During the past 20 years while I have been abs... more

Archaeology in Greece 1998-99

Archaeological Reports, 1999

... reshuffle of early 1999, and is succeeded at the Ministry of Culture by Mrs Elizabeth Papazoi... more

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 1977

I. The Ayiofarango ValleyE1 (M, GR, BM)A terrace at about the 200 m. contour, east of and above t... more I. The Ayiofarango ValleyE1 (M, GR, BM)A terrace at about the 200 m. contour, east of and above the road from Kaloi Limenes to A. Kyriaki, c. 100 m. from the point where the road crosses the watershed into the catchment area. The terrace is c. 150 m. (N.-S.) by 50 m. (E.-W.), bounded on the east by steep, bare upward gradients, and on the west by a steep downward slope covered only with low scrub. Two possible stretches of wall were found on the western slope, but the only certain structural remains were a modern sheep pen and a circular wall, c. 1–5 m. in diameter, which appeared to be a filled-in well. Abraded sherds were quite common on the western slope, but scarcer on the terrace.

I neoria di Naxos in Sicilia

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

Archeologia Classica, 2008

BRITISH SCHOOL AT ATHENS-ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORTS: 1.AGIORGITIKA (METALLURGICAL CENTER OF EARLY GREEK PREHISTORY) 2. ORCHOMENOS (A UNIQUE STONE TUMULUS OF THE EH II PERIOD). 3. PALAIOKASTRO (MYCENAEAN CEMETERY: LH IIB TO SMYC). 4. VILLA OF HERODES ATTICUS (FULL PUBLICATION AT THE GETTY).

by Georgios Spyropoulos and David Blackman

A huge THANK-YOU to David Blackman, Oxford University, for his support. All the above- the first ... more

The shipsheds of Sicilian Naxos, researches 1998–2001: a preliminary report

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 2003

Remains discovered in excavations at Naxos in 1981-3, underlying structures belonging to the sett... more

The Shipsheds of Sicilian Naxos: a Second Preliminary Report (2003–6)

by Maria Costanza Lentini, David Blackman, and Jari Pakkanen

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 2008

... Maria Costanza Lentini a1 , David Blackman a2 and Jari Pakkanen a3. a1 Museo Archeologico di ... more

THE SHIPSHEDS Of SICILIAN NAXOS: A SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT (2003–6),BSA 103, 2008.pdf

by Maria Costanza Lentini, David Blackman, and Jari Pakkanen

Systematic excavations have revealed all that remains of the ancient dockyard of Naxos, the first... more Systematic excavations have revealed all that remains of the ancient dockyard of Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily. Four slipways have been uncovered. Light has been shed on the operations carried out within the shipsheds, with the definition of side-passages and the discovery of traces of red and blue pigment, showing that at least parts of the ships were painted in the shipsheds..The ships housed were triremes, but probably of a narrow type. No traces have been identified of hauling machinery. A fourth-century burial in the corner of one shipshed shows that by then the dockyard was out of use (confirming the historical tradition of the destruction of Naxos by Dionysios I in 403 B.C.). The existence of sand ramps, probably supporting timber skid ways, provides conclusive evidence that the shipsheds were roofed. The two southern slipways seem to have been extended westwards (landwards) in the second phase; and here there are traces of a final burnt destruction. A remarkable series of antefixes (Silenoi and Gorgoneia) and other terracotta architectural elements and cover-tiles, found mainly in shipshed 3, derive from an earlier building on the same site, which seems to be an early phase of shipshed with an unexpectedly rich decoration of its roof. The Silenoi and Gorgoneia may have alternated – and the Silenoi were emblematic of Naxos.

Conservation of ancient dockyard sites, IKUWA 5, 2015 Managing the Underwater Cultural Heritage Papers Presented at the Fourth International Congress on Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA 4

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

ecent excavations of ancient dockyard sites have revealed a number of examples of a type not pre-... more ecent excavations of ancient dockyard sites have revealed a number of examples of a type not pre- viously well known: with built up ramps of hard-packed earth, or earth and rubble, or sand. These are less easy to conserve than rock-cut slipways or slipways with built up stone ramps; there is some evidence that they needed maintenance already during their period of use. Examples of these types are discussed, with the methods being pro- posed for their conservation, in order where possible to make them permanent and accessible. A proposal for com- parative study of some of these vulnerable sites had been proposed, and deserves to be renewed.

I NEORIA DI NAXOS IN SICILIA, ArchCl 59,2008

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

The discovery of the dockyard of the Greek colony of Naxos has added greatly to our knowledge of ... more The discovery of the dockyard of the Greek colony of Naxos has added greatly to our knowledge of the city’s topography; it makes clear the specifically maritime character of the city and is slowly revealing evidence relating to the city’s political order and its involvement in Athens’s Sicilian avventura. Much of the site had been uncovered between 1981 and 1983 and generally defined as a harbor installation. Firm identification came in sondages of 1998–2000 and excava- tion of a wider area in 2001.

Shipsheds of the ancient Mediterranean

by Boris Rankov, David Blackman, Henrik Gerding, and Jari Pakkanen

Under the Mediterranean I: Studies in Maritime Archaeology

Palestine Exploration Quarterly

Greek Archaeology in Western Asia Minor

Archaeological Reports for, 1964

... On these coasts Peter Throckmorton and Miss Honor Frost, in collaboration with Mustafa Kapkin... more

The Excavation of an Early Minoan Tholos Tomb at Ayia Kyriaki, Ayiofarango, Southern Crete

The Annual of the British School at Athens, Nov 1, 1982

An Archaeological Survey on the South Coast of Crete, between the Ayiofarango and Chrisostomos

The Annual of the British School at Athens, Nov 1, 1975

This or the nearby tomb (SC3) are the likeliest sources of the EM II pottery 'from Kaloi Limenes,... more This or the nearby tomb (SC3) are the likeliest sources of the EM II pottery 'from Kaloi Limenes, clearly from a looted prepalatial tomb', which reached Herakleion Museum in 1964: Alexiou, ADelt xx (1965) Chron. 3, 552; cf. Branigan, The Tombs of Mesara 172, no. 78, where the reference must be corrected (also, nos. 18-19 are less likely, being close to Lasaia). The same is probably true of many of the other EM objects which have reached the Museum and the Metaxas Collection in recent years from 'the Kaloi Limenes area': Alexiou, ADelt xix (1964) Chron. 3, 439; xx (1965) Chron. 3, 551; xxi (1966) Chron. 2, 406; xxii (1967) Chron. 2, 482. However, the EM tombs in the Ayiofarango catchment area cannot be excluded; cf. the seals acquired by the Metaxas Collection whose provenance is given as Pigaidakia: I. A. Sakellarakis, ADelt xx (1965) Chron. 3, 563. 4 Op. cit. 170. 5 See n. 1.

Archaeology in Western Asia Minor 1965-70

Archaeological Reports for, 1970

Page 1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORTS FOR I970-7I ARCHAEOLOGY IN WESTERN ASIA MINOR i965-70 The increase... more

Hammond, Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière (1907–2001), Greek scholar

The Harbour at Perachora

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 1966

The harbour was described briefly by Payne. As he says, the enclosed part is extremely small and ... more The harbour was described briefly by Payne. As he says, the enclosed part is extremely small and now much silted up. Even if it was much deeper in antiquity it can never have had room for more than two or three boats, and we may presume that ships normally anchored outside in the small bay, protected from the north and north-west wind, and only entered the harbour to disembark men or goods. No large ships could have entered the harbour at all; the small craft (lembi) used to ferry Philocles' force across to Lechaion in 198 B.C. would have been most suitable.

Roman Port Societies: The Evidence of Inscriptions

Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2021

Seismic coastal uplift and subsidence in Rhodes Island, Aegean Arc: Evidence from an uplifted ancient harbour

Tectonophysics, 2014

Archaeological evidence from a 2400 years old harbour, currently about 3 m above sea-level, sheds... more Archaeological evidence from a 2400 years old harbour, currently about 3 m above sea-level, sheds light on an enigmatic sequence of coastal uplift and subsidence along the coasts of Rhodes Island, close to a N 4 km deep trough marking the east edge of the Aegean Arc. The tectonics of this area are not clear, because of the absence of major earthquakes in the last 80 years, but are likely to be controlled by a combination of shear and compression producing strong earthquakes, some associated with tsunamis and some with thrust-uplifted notches. The latter, up to 6000 years old, also show evidence of phases of subsidence. Our study focuses on remains of shipsheds, in particular a ramp used to pull warships out of the water and keep them protected under cover during winter. This ramp was constructed between approximately 250-225 BC and some decades later it was repaved, after a major earthquake destroyed the town of Rhodes and most probably the harbour and sheltered ships, as historical evidence reveals. 300 years later the harbour was to a great part abandoned because of a coastal uplift. The only reasonable explanation for the ramp reconstruction was to counteract a 1 m seismic subsidence at around 220 BC or earlier. Several possible explanations can be proposed for the earthquake which produced seismic subsidence alternating with uplift in Rhodes, in a pattern of vertical motions different from that observed in Crete, or other convergent boundaries.

Archaeology in Greece 1996-97

Archaeological Reports, 1997

Page 1. ARCHAEOLOGY IN GREECE 1996-97 INTRODUCTION During the past 20 years while I have been abs... more

Archaeology in Greece 1998-99

Archaeological Reports, 1999

... reshuffle of early 1999, and is succeeded at the Ministry of Culture by Mrs Elizabeth Papazoi... more

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 1977

I. The Ayiofarango ValleyE1 (M, GR, BM)A terrace at about the 200 m. contour, east of and above t... more I. The Ayiofarango ValleyE1 (M, GR, BM)A terrace at about the 200 m. contour, east of and above the road from Kaloi Limenes to A. Kyriaki, c. 100 m. from the point where the road crosses the watershed into the catchment area. The terrace is c. 150 m. (N.-S.) by 50 m. (E.-W.), bounded on the east by steep, bare upward gradients, and on the west by a steep downward slope covered only with low scrub. Two possible stretches of wall were found on the western slope, but the only certain structural remains were a modern sheep pen and a circular wall, c. 1–5 m. in diameter, which appeared to be a filled-in well. Abraded sherds were quite common on the western slope, but scarcer on the terrace.

I neoria di Naxos in Sicilia

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

Archeologia Classica, 2008

BRITISH SCHOOL AT ATHENS-ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORTS: 1.AGIORGITIKA (METALLURGICAL CENTER OF EARLY GREEK PREHISTORY) 2. ORCHOMENOS (A UNIQUE STONE TUMULUS OF THE EH II PERIOD). 3. PALAIOKASTRO (MYCENAEAN CEMETERY: LH IIB TO SMYC). 4. VILLA OF HERODES ATTICUS (FULL PUBLICATION AT THE GETTY).

by Georgios Spyropoulos and David Blackman

A huge THANK-YOU to David Blackman, Oxford University, for his support. All the above- the first ... more

The shipsheds of Sicilian Naxos, researches 1998–2001: a preliminary report

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 2003

Remains discovered in excavations at Naxos in 1981-3, underlying structures belonging to the sett... more

The Shipsheds of Sicilian Naxos: a Second Preliminary Report (2003–6)

by Maria Costanza Lentini, David Blackman, and Jari Pakkanen

The Annual of the British School at Athens, 2008

... Maria Costanza Lentini a1 , David Blackman a2 and Jari Pakkanen a3. a1 Museo Archeologico di ... more

THE SHIPSHEDS Of SICILIAN NAXOS: A SECOND PRELIMINARY REPORT (2003–6),BSA 103, 2008.pdf

by Maria Costanza Lentini, David Blackman, and Jari Pakkanen

Systematic excavations have revealed all that remains of the ancient dockyard of Naxos, the first... more Systematic excavations have revealed all that remains of the ancient dockyard of Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily. Four slipways have been uncovered. Light has been shed on the operations carried out within the shipsheds, with the definition of side-passages and the discovery of traces of red and blue pigment, showing that at least parts of the ships were painted in the shipsheds..The ships housed were triremes, but probably of a narrow type. No traces have been identified of hauling machinery. A fourth-century burial in the corner of one shipshed shows that by then the dockyard was out of use (confirming the historical tradition of the destruction of Naxos by Dionysios I in 403 B.C.). The existence of sand ramps, probably supporting timber skid ways, provides conclusive evidence that the shipsheds were roofed. The two southern slipways seem to have been extended westwards (landwards) in the second phase; and here there are traces of a final burnt destruction. A remarkable series of antefixes (Silenoi and Gorgoneia) and other terracotta architectural elements and cover-tiles, found mainly in shipshed 3, derive from an earlier building on the same site, which seems to be an early phase of shipshed with an unexpectedly rich decoration of its roof. The Silenoi and Gorgoneia may have alternated – and the Silenoi were emblematic of Naxos.

Conservation of ancient dockyard sites, IKUWA 5, 2015 Managing the Underwater Cultural Heritage Papers Presented at the Fourth International Congress on Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA 4

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

ecent excavations of ancient dockyard sites have revealed a number of examples of a type not pre-... more ecent excavations of ancient dockyard sites have revealed a number of examples of a type not pre- viously well known: with built up ramps of hard-packed earth, or earth and rubble, or sand. These are less easy to conserve than rock-cut slipways or slipways with built up stone ramps; there is some evidence that they needed maintenance already during their period of use. Examples of these types are discussed, with the methods being pro- posed for their conservation, in order where possible to make them permanent and accessible. A proposal for com- parative study of some of these vulnerable sites had been proposed, and deserves to be renewed.

I NEORIA DI NAXOS IN SICILIA, ArchCl 59,2008

by Maria Costanza Lentini and David Blackman

The discovery of the dockyard of the Greek colony of Naxos has added greatly to our knowledge of ... more The discovery of the dockyard of the Greek colony of Naxos has added greatly to our knowledge of the city’s topography; it makes clear the specifically maritime character of the city and is slowly revealing evidence relating to the city’s political order and its involvement in Athens’s Sicilian avventura. Much of the site had been uncovered between 1981 and 1983 and generally defined as a harbor installation. Firm identification came in sondages of 1998–2000 and excava- tion of a wider area in 2001.

Shipsheds of the ancient Mediterranean

by Boris Rankov, David Blackman, Henrik Gerding, and Jari Pakkanen

Newsletter, IAG Working Group on Geoarchaeology No. 14

by Yasuhisa Kondo, Адильхан Байбатша, Dra. M. Sampietro, Hervé Tronchère, and David Blackman

Newsletter, IAG Working Group on Geoarchaeology, Dec 16, 2013

Table of Contents Chair’s Word (Kosmas Pavlopoulos) Communications Activity report: 2009–20... more Table of Contents

Chair’s Word (Kosmas Pavlopoulos)
Communications
Activity report: 2009–2013 (Kosmas Pavlopoulos)
Board members 2013–2016
Our new website and social network services (Yasuhisa Kondo)
Scientific Essays
Geomorphological surveying in Sambor Prei Kuk Pre-Angkor Site, Central Cambodia (Sumiko Kubo & Naoko Nagumo)
The natural environment in the territory of Kazakhstan in anthropogene (Adilkhan B. Baibatsha)
Geoarchaeological Research within the Framework of ROCEEH (Michael Märker)
Conference Reports
Forthcoming Conferences
New Books
New Research Articles
You are welcome to contribute!

M.C. Lentini, D. Blackman & J. Pakkanen, ‘The Port in the Urban System of Sicilian Naxos (5th Century BC)’, in K. Höghammar et al. (eds.), Ancient Ports. The Geography of Connections, Boreas 34, Uppsala 2016, 253–267.

by Jari Pakkanen, Maria Costanza Lentini, and David Blackman

The precise location of the port of Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily (734 BC), was long un... more The precise location of the port of Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily (734 BC), was long unknown due to the significant change in the ancient coastline. The recent discovery of the city’s Classical shipsheds (neoria) is crucial in this regard: the port basin was located in the south-west sector of the bay and an outline of the spatial and functional relationships between the harbour and the city plan is now feasible. It is also possible to reconstruct the basic features of the city’s ancient landscape, where the bay must have played a central role—and perhaps this reconstruction will also assist us in locating the site of the altar of Apollo Archegetes. Further research will include locating the commercial harbour and studying its relationship with the city and the agora.
The neoria block (most likely c. 28 m x 55 m) lies in the northern part of the city, on the lower slopes of the Larunchi Hill, and its orientation is slightly different from the 5th-century orthogonal urban grid. The excavations have shown that the shipsheds were inside the city walls and, furthermore, were very close to the agora which occupied the upper terrace, dominating the bay and the port. Such proximity could be an indicator of the relative importance of the military fleet for ancient Naxos. For those coming from the sea Naxos displayed the shipsheds as an
indication of its wealth and power, following the example known from other Greek poleis.

"An underwater archaeology lesson for our time," Sixth International Congress on Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA 6), Western Australian Museum, 28th November – 2 December 2016.

by Elena Flavia Castagnino Berlinghieri and David Blackman

Education, Training and Competence

by Sarah Ward, Alex Llewellyn, Martijn Manders, and David Blackman

The 3rd International Congress on Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA3), London, England: 7-14 July, 2008

IKUWA3: BEYOND BOUNDARIES, the 3rd International Congress on Underwater Archaeology, was organise... more IKUWA3: BEYOND BOUNDARIES, the 3rd International Congress on Underwater Archaeology, was organised by the Nautical Archaeology Society, University College London and the Charted Institute for Archaeologists, on 7th-14th July 2008, under the patronage of UNESCO and the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.