The ordinary merchant ship in the British Atlantic, 1600–1800: A call for further research

Abstract

Bringing to bear new sources of evidence on an old subject, this study of the ordinary British Atlantic merchant ship calls for both traditional and experimental archaeology, laboratory analysis using marine engineering applications, and a return to the archives with new questions and fresh insights. We still have much to learn about this key technology, but limited traditional sources and methods – and the lack of integration of evidence from different disciplines and from non-academic expertise – as well as strong academic biases rooted in our culture, have contributed to a neglect of research in recent years, and to a false impression that the subject is not important enough to warrant the effort.