Author: Justine Buchler
Buchler, Justine, 2022 Utilizing Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography (Py-GC) to Understand the Use of Resinous Substances on Ships Dated to the Fourth century BC: interpretations of the resinous substance found on the Kyrenia Ship, Cyprus., Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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The use of organic residue analysis in maritime archaeology is a useful strategy employed to study the resinous materials recovered from shipwreck contexts. Resin derivatives such as pitch and tar, have been recovered from the exterior hull, and cargo of shipwrecks dating to the fourth century BC. This thesis provides an interpretation of the resinous material located on the exterior keel and hull of Kyrenia ship, Cyprus. The results of a Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography (Py-GC) analysis were used to determine the composition and make an interpretation of the botanic source and method of manufacture of the resinous material located on the exterior of Kyrenia ship.
The shipwreck at Kyrenia was excavated in the summer seasons of 1968 and 1969, under the supervision of Michael Katzev and the University of Pennsylvania with an international and domestic team. Since the excavation, a large network of researchers has been conducting ongoing studies on the remains of the ship. Currently, these studies utilise and revitalise legacy data. The material culture discussed in this thesis is the resinous substance identified and recovered during the conservation of Kyrenia ship. During the conservation of the ship, four samples of resinous substance were recovered and subsequently provided to Flinders University under the care of Dr Wendy Van Duivenvoorde for analysis. This material was selected for this thesis to provide insight into organic remains often overlooked on shipwreck sites and discuss the role of the study of resins and the derivatives thereof within the submerged archaeological record.
Separative chemical analysis has been increasingly used in archaeology to determine aspects of past environment and culture which cannot be readily evaluated by visual methodologies. The results of this study indicate that the substance present on the Kyrenia ship is a conifer tar. The tar composition is consistent with resinous materials used for other purposes on the ship, and based on ancient sources it is likely that cultural norms related to the manufacture of resin and procurement of the material introduced fatty acids into the resin which are present in the chemical data. These results further the interpretation of the use of resinous materials during ship repair and construction during the Hellenistic Period and demonstrate the utility of this method for deriving information about materials which cannot be achieved by standard visual methodologies.
Keywords: Kyrenia Ship, Hellenistic, Resinous Substance, Conifer Tar, Shipwreck, Maritime Archaeology, Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography (Py-GC)
Subject: Archaeology thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2022
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Dr Wendy van Duivenvoorde