France’s La Gloire and Britain’s HMS Warrior transformed naval power, forcing rival states into an escalating contest...
Maritime
Follow human life at sea from ancient navigation and oceanic migration to commercial shipping and modern maritime power. These histories reveal how oceans connected distant societies while people and rival states struggled to command their dangerous spaces.
Ancient sailors navigated Cyprus through shifting winds and recognizable landscapes, revealing a Mediterranean whose routes changed with...
Jonathan Dickinson’s 1696 shipwreck on Florida’s Atlantic coast became a harrowing story of survival, captivity, Indigenous encounters,...
The Syracusia stands as the largest ship of the ancient world, revealing how Hellenistic engineering, royal ambition,...
From medieval cogs to industrial supertankers, the largest ships reveal how technology, trade, and ambition reshaped maritime...
Ancient mariners crossed vast oceans without instruments, relying on stars, winds, and environmental knowledge to navigate with...
Bass boats face constant exposure to water, sun, and heavy foot traffic. Every surface on board must...
From captain to rigger, each crew member played their part in the complex performance of tasks. Introduction...
Underwater exploration in the medieval and early modern periods was never a single trajectory of progress. It...
Evolution takes time. By Danielle HallOcean Portal Digital ProducerMuseum of Natural HistorySmithsonian Institution Introduction The ocean may...
Researchers show how Indigenous practices persisted as landscapes changed. By Susan CosierScience and Environment Journalist In July...
The blockade of more than 3,500 miles of Southern coastline consumed most of the navy’s assets. Introduction...
Sails were complex objects constructed with considerable skill. By Philip K. AllanAuthor and Historian Prior to the...
The 1868 peak in sail-powered ships on Lake Michigan marked the year the Rouse Simmons was launched....
The dominant architectural system in use in the Greek, Roman, and Punic shipyards. During the Hellenistic period...
The growth in tonnage during the Hellenistic period is due to developments in both ship and harbour...
What precisely was a ship painter in the ancient Mediterranean? Introduction Ancient literary sources often mention the...
Like duels, each party agreed to certain conditions before the challenge could be executed. By Stuart Butler...
European mariners were already familiar with shipworms like T. navalis before 1730. In the fall of 1730 following a...
Clocks had become more sophisticated with intricate systems of gears and springs. Introduction John Harrison (1693-1776) invented...
From ancient marine vessels to modern luxury yachts, boaters throughout history have always looked for ways to...
In studying the sea, we are returning to our beginnings. Although fully half of the world’s people...
Boat parts are important for the overall function and upkeep of your boat. It is important to...
The ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ is rather an odd name to attach to a period when crime...
Pirates needed safe harbors where they could hide from the authorities and share out their loot. Introduction...
South China Sea tension has risen in recent decades, but territorial disputes in the East China Sea...
The Vikings used sailing boats, known as knarrs, for their long-distance oceanic travels. Introduction Misconceptions about the...
The Spanish themselves called them the naos de China or ‘Chinese ships’. Introduction The Manila galleons were Spanish treasure ships which transported...
Powered by 170 rowers and armed with a bronze ram, the trireme combined speed with precision, transforming...
Recent archaeology has deepened understanding of other ship designs made for coastal sailing and frequent portaging. In...