Roman Metalwork: Bronze ship nail

Inv. No.: 82.053b
Provenance: Roman
Date: 1st century BC-3rd century AD
Length: 135mm
Width: 2-7 mm (shaft); 18 mm (head)
 
Gift of David H. Swingler (Holland Coins and Antiquities).

The nails differ in size, but are similar in shape (Manning Type 1a). Each has a square-sectioned shank that tapers to a fine point (broken in the case of the largest example) and a head in the form of a faceted, flattened cone with a small, flat round top. The smallest example is straight and in very good condition (probably unused) with only a small amount of light green incrustation. The shank of the medium-sized example is straight at the top but bent at a slight angle about 67 mm below the head. It is wavy and also twisted to the side below this point. The surface is lightly covered with light green incrustation. The largest example is also bent at an angle of c. 30°, about 105 mm below the head, but the shank remains more or less straight. It is thickly covered with light green incrustation.

Function:
Used to attach wooden planks to the ship timbers.

Manufacture:
Hand-made, probably by heating and hammering lengths of bronze rod on all four sides to produce the square-sectioned tapering shank while the head was shaped by hammering the hot nail once it was placed in a nail header or an anvil.

Bibliography:
Casson, L., "Sailing", in C. Roebuck, ed., The Muses at Work: Arts, Crafts, and Professions in Ancient Greece and Rome, Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England, 1969, 190-195 (ship construction).

Frost, H. et al., Lilybaeum, Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1981 [supplement to Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, XXX (1976)], 119-126.

Manning, W. H., Catalogue of the Romano-British Iron Tools, Fittings and Weapons in the British Museum, London, British Museum, 1985, 134-135 ("Nails") and Fig. 32 (Typology).

White, K. D., Greek and Roman Technology, London, Thames and Hudson, 1984, 145-148, 210-211 (ship construction).

Comparanda:
Frost, H. et al., Lilybaeum, Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1981 [supplement to Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, XXX (1976)], Figs. 57.1, 58.1 and 59 (similar shapes from a Punic ship probably wrecked in 241 BC).

Ucelli, G., Le Navi di Nemi, Roma, La Libreria dello Stato, 1950, Figs. 152, 154 and 160 (similar shapes from wrecks found in Lake Nemi; 1st century AD).