La question de la durée de vie d’Arles-Rhône 3 et de celle de la longévité des chalands gallo-romains du bassin rhodanien

Abstract

The question of the lifespan of Arles-Rhône 3 and that of the longevity of Gallo-Roman barges of the Rhône basin. The question as to the lifespan of a boat is generally a difficult one, especially in the case of ancient wrecks. As regards the Arles-Rhône 3, however, studies have revealed a maximum lifespan of some 20 years, from 50 to the beginning of the 70s AD. If one considers that the hull of the barge, despite displaying numerous repairs, does not seem to show signs of very long use, this lifespan could perhaps be reduced to less than 10 years, or even less than 5. But the question as to the longevity of this barge, that is to say, the expected lifespan in optimal working conditions, is worth consideration because such a discussion has never been had regarding Gallo-Roman barges of the Rhône basin. For the moment and in the absence of sufficient data, there are only medieval documents to tell that, depending on the type of boat, the quality of construction, maintenance and use, the longevity of Rhône barges fits into a very narrow time frame of between 6 and a dozen years.