Reconstruction

]It is planned to make reconstructions of some shipwrecks in the name of experimental archaeology within Istanbul University Yenikapı Shipwrecks Project. Yenikapı 12 is going to be the first ship to be built using original material and the building technique of the period. Yenikapı 12 is a small merchant vessel with Latin sail and a single mast which cruised the seas in 9th century AD. The size of Yenikapı 12 was approximately 9,60 m long and 2,60 m wide and there was 180 amphoras filled with wine in its hold.

The first step of the project consists of the doctoral dissertation which is about building techniques and reconstruction of Yenikapı 12. The way Yenikapı 12 was designed, how it was built, researching the place of its building technique amongst the Mediterranean ship building methods, rebuilding the ship remnants in a museum and a restitution proposal to be used for the reconstruction making processes was the research subject of this dissertation. As a result of the three year long assessments, the size of Yenikapı 12, the shape of lost parts and design principles were determined. Restitution drawings of the ship were made according to these data. Later these drawings were turned into illustrations and animations which shows the ship at sea and its situation inside the harbor.

The second step of the project was to make a reconstruction of the Yenikapı 12 ship. The goal, in the light of the gathered theoretical information, was to reach more information about building a Medieval Age ship belonging to AD 9th century with the conditions of the time and events that occurred at that point. Number of workers, procurement of the materials, aligning timbers of the hull, how long it took to assemble; difficulties the shipbuilder faced, the way he brought together two different building techniques and many other very curious questions are to be answered. At this experimental archaeology study, Yenikapı 12 will be reconstructed whilst adhere to the tools used in its production and the original construction technique.

It is aimed to start the project in mid 2014 and to be completed in 2015. It is aimed to organize various activities and conferences, lectured by experts in accordance with the building process.

The reconstruction will be launched when it’s finished and Yenikapı 12 will provide museum visitors an amazing cruise experience on a Medieval Age ship and continue its life with a new purpose.