Maritime London

At first sight this post might not seem particularly relevant to my research as a maritime archaeologist. Yet, I would like to  ask you to bare with me as I explore ‘maritime London’ for the first time.

Even though I have been living in the UK for almost a year and a half with the specific purpose of immersing myself in maritime archaeology and history, I had never explored ‘maritime London’. Perhaps the reason why it took so long is the fact that London museums tend to focus on maritime matters from 1700 onwards and my (archaeological) focus is on our maritime heritage that comes before that. Nonetheless, I found out that London offers a varied perspective of maritime activity from the latter periods and is a must for all people visiting the British capital.

It would take me way too long to discuss everything I saw and learned, so what follows are three maritime-related objects that I particularly enjoyed.

The Cutty Sark (1869)
The famous British clipper is definitely a sight for sore eyes. Built right before the dominance of steam ships, she was one of the last tea clippers and one of the fastest. However, It was during the days she transported Australian wool (from 1883 until 1895) that she would establish herself as the fastest of all clippers. Under her last master, Richard Woodget, she set record times of 70 days or less for the voyage which no other sailing ship could match.

The Cutty Sark now symbolises and honours the English merchant fleet as a museum ship. Next to some items showcasing her varied use-life, reminding us of the fact that a ship almost always is a palimpsest of different usages and physical transformations, it is the Cutty Sark herself, as an archaeological artefact that is important here. She is not just a ship, she is a symbol of English nationalism, mercantile and economic history, technological innovation, and most of all, she reveals England’s enduring commitment to her national maritime cultural heritage.

The port engine of the tug Reliant (1907) in The National Maritime Museum
Reliant, who was originally named Old Trafford, was built for the Manchester Ship Canal, a 36-mile long, man-made channel connecting the River Mersey to Greater Manchester. The tug was vital for the narrow canal. Ships are difficult to manoeuvre at slow speeds. Her job was to guide large merchant ships safely to their destination. Today, as they did in the past, tugs play an important role in guiding ships into ports and docks.  

The tug is a clear reminder of the fact that, also in archaeological contexts, there is more to maritime trade than ships, their cargoes and ports. There are a myriad of actors at work in a mercantile network that facilitate the maritime trade between cities.

The Greenwich Time Ball at the Royal Observatory
The time ball on the roof of the Flamsteed House at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich was made by Maudsley, Son & Field, installed in 1833 and drops daily at 1:00 PM.

By the 1830′s, most British sailors navigated using marine chronometers. These were clocks that were precise enough to be used as a portable time standard and could therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation.  However, these needed to be set accurately before sailing. The time ball allowed anybody in sight of the Royal Observatory to obtain Greenwich Time.

As maritime archaeologists, we sometimes tend to focus on the marine environment itself and lose track of the dialectic relationship the marine has with the terrestrial. This clever mechanism, vital for sailors of the time, is a clear reminder of this relationship between two different environments, not only from an environmental- but also cultural perspective. ‘Maritime’ matters interspersed mainstream ‘terrestrial’ culture in numerous ways.

All in all, one could argue this has little to do with any of my main research topics. Yet, exploring maritime archaeology and history in its widest sense is something which every maritime archaeologist enjoys. In doing so, I find that this reminds me of certain aspects of my research that had slipped to the background or even opens up new perspectives all together.