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Vita I Teaching I Students I Publications I Ship Lab Reports I Schedule I CMAC Lecture Series

Giving to the ShipLab Sponsors I J. Richard Steffy Scholarship

Portuguese Naus / Iberian Ships / NADL / Italian Seafaring / Treatises / Puerto Rico / Small Craft / Portugal / Other

Welcome to the J. Richard Steffy ShipLAB:

Director: Filipe Vieira de Castro, Frederick R. Mayer Faculty Professor II of Nautical Archaeology

Nautical Archaeology Program, 105 Anthropology Building, College Station, TX 77843-4352, USA. Telephone: (979) 845-6220. Fax: (979) 845-4070. Email: fvcastro@tamu.edu.

The ShipLab was created by J. Richard Steffy in 1976 and today is one of the laboratories of the Centre for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation of the Anthropology Department at Texas A&M University. Its mission is to acquire and disseminate knowledge about shipbuilding through time. As a classroom its main objective is to provide an effective learning environment. As research laboratory its objective is to facilitate investigation, seek public and private research funds, and recruit and retain quality students for its projects. As an outreach institution it aims at providing information, education, and guidance about the discipline of nautical archaeology and the importance of the world's submerged cultural heritage, perhaps more than ever threatened by treasure hunting.

Iconography: CMAC is working on the iconography of the ships of the European expansion of the 16th Century. The Pepper Wreck: The Pepper Wreck & India Nau Project (IST) Hard Science @ IST: launching the model on National TV. Another model launching, admittedly not as glamorous, in 1940: nau Portugal. A new Pepper Wreck website under construction: not yet ready, but to keep in mind. Iberian Ships: One of the ShipLAB main interests is the study of Iberian Shipbuilding in the period of the European expansion. Although most shipwrecks have been destroyed by treasure hunters and all the information they contained has been destroyed forever, recent studies combining archaeology and documental evidence have significantly advanced our understanding of these formidable machines. In the Field: The Nautical Archaeology of Puerto Rico Exploring the coast of Puerto Rico in search of shipwrecks in order to study its maritime history. Pepper Wreck Model: Carlos Montalvão's model, based on the reconstruction made by the ShipLAB/SAEN team. Dutch Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age: Texas A&M University Press is working on the publication of an English version of Ab Hoving and G.A. de Weerdt's seminal work, Nicolaes Witsens scheeps-bouw-konst open gestelt. Shipbuilding c. 1570: CMAC is working on the study, for publication, of two texts on shipbuilding, by Nicolo Sagri and Fernando Oliveira, both dating to c. 1570. News: CMAC News & Reports! Issue No. 1 is out (April 09). CMAC Lecture Series UNESCO Convention: Good to Go! (Jan'09). Nautical Archaeology Digital Library: Italian Shipbuilding in the Renaissace: Another main interest of the ShipLAB is the study of Italian Ships of the Renaissance, which have influenced shipbuilding allover Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. A number of shipbuilding treatises from this period have survived and are being studied at the ShipLAB. Treasure hunters' corner: Always shallow, no matter how low they manage to sink. About treasure hunting; The difference between antiquarians and archaeologists.

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Last Updated: 10/14/08