Edgar Wróblewski | Bohusläns museum (original) (raw)
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Papers by Edgar Wróblewski
Museum Stavanger Årbok 2017, 2018
'Common Sailor of the Danish-Norwegian Navy during the Great Northern War, 1700-1721' The history... more 'Common Sailor of the Danish-Norwegian Navy during the Great Northern War, 1700-1721'
The history of the Danish-Norwegian navy stretches over 300 years from 1510 to 1814. Although this period is relatively well researched, surprisingly little is known about common sailors. The paper shows that from combined study of archaeological material and historical sources it is possible to draw an accurate portrait of a regular seaman serving during the Great Northern War, 1700-1721.
The article gives a brief introduction to the sources available for studying the mentioned period and continues with an example of how they can be used. The results of this case study are presented on two levels: 1. Relating to an average sailor and his daily life in the navy, and 2. Showing how material culture testifies for individuals aboard a vessel.
The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportiv... more The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportive staff, especially Frode Kvalø, Dag Naevestad and Jørgen Johannessen for facilitating and supporting the field school in Skjernøysund. We are also indebted to Marja Liisa Petrelius Grue for planting the idea of a field school in Norway and establishing the first contact.
Through the years the concepts of archaeology have been changed. The history of archaeology is pr... more Through the years the concepts of archaeology have been changed. The history of archaeology is primarily the history of ideas and the theory behind the way of which people perceived their past. The record of developing research methods and the discoveries come later, as the antiquarianism turned into science, around one hundred and fifty years ago. The archaeology of the 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th century is mostly associated with great discoveries such as the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of Kings, the lost Maya cities of Central America (Renfrew, Bahn 2000). On this basis, the commonly known image has grown, the picture of an archaeologist, as an adventurer travelling the world in pursuit of lost treasures. The popular culture only consolidated this stereotype. Today word 'archaeologist' has the same meaning as 'Indiana Jones'. This was not until 1960's, when archaeology changed the way it had worked. The birth of the New Archaeology and later movements (i.e. processual archaeology) brought this discipline closer to other sciences (Trigger 2003). The new approaches changed an adventurous gentleman into a scientist. Archaeology has always served science. A carefully selected site was excavated to obtain maximal results in terms of answering previously asked questions. From the stage of collecting antiquities it evolved, through collecting a find and information about its environment, to the level of recognisable science with its methodology and theory. However, at the turn of new century, archaeology yet again needs to meet the new demands. The ubiquitous development of infrastructure led to a debate on the protection of archaeological heritage. Suddenly a vast area of land and seabed became a field of competition between investors and archaeologists (Maarleveld & Auer 2009; Maarleveld 1998). The concern of importance of protecting archaeological and cultural heritage effected creation of The Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological heritage of Europe (also known as Valletta Treaty or Malta Convention), which was ratified in 1992. The document aims to protect the heritage 'as a source of European collective memory and as an instrument for historical and scientific study. All remains and objects and any other traces of humankind from past times are considered elements of the archaeological heritage. The notion of I have contacted eleven universities around the world which teach students on their maritime-archaeology-related faculties 1 . The list of the contacted universities is as follows (in alphabetic order): Alexandria University (Egypt), Bristol University (United Kingdom), East
Abstract Although the Danish Navy of different periods has been a subject of many historical s... more Abstract
Although the Danish Navy of different periods has been a subject of many historical studies, it seems that the human element of the fleet has been neglected by many of the researchers. It appears that common sailors, without whom even the mightiest navy would be forced to stay in the harbour, were usually hidden behind the numbers of statistics. The following thesis attempts to change this picture of the navy and bring to attention the lives of common sailors.
The study focuses on the period of the Great Northern War, 1700-1721. In the analysis, it uses the available archaeological material from the contemporary shipwrecks and compares it with the historical documents found in the State Archives in Copenhagen. The process shows the benefits of incorporating historical sources in the archaeological research, and more importantly the need for historians to do the same. It also examines the parallels and contradictions that can be seen in the materials.
As the result, out of the combination of this different types of sources a more accurate portrait of an average sailor is created. It shows his dress and equipment, and, where possible, relates to his life on board of an early 18th-century ship of the Danish-Norwegian Navy.
The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportiv... more The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportive staff, especially Frode Kvalø, Dag Naevestad and Jørgen Johannessen for facilitating and supporting the field school in Skjernøysund. We are also indebted to Marja Liisa Petrelius Grue for planting the idea of a field school in Norway and establishing the first contact.
Museum Stavanger Årbok 2017, 2018
'Common Sailor of the Danish-Norwegian Navy during the Great Northern War, 1700-1721' The history... more 'Common Sailor of the Danish-Norwegian Navy during the Great Northern War, 1700-1721'
The history of the Danish-Norwegian navy stretches over 300 years from 1510 to 1814. Although this period is relatively well researched, surprisingly little is known about common sailors. The paper shows that from combined study of archaeological material and historical sources it is possible to draw an accurate portrait of a regular seaman serving during the Great Northern War, 1700-1721.
The article gives a brief introduction to the sources available for studying the mentioned period and continues with an example of how they can be used. The results of this case study are presented on two levels: 1. Relating to an average sailor and his daily life in the navy, and 2. Showing how material culture testifies for individuals aboard a vessel.
The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportiv... more The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportive staff, especially Frode Kvalø, Dag Naevestad and Jørgen Johannessen for facilitating and supporting the field school in Skjernøysund. We are also indebted to Marja Liisa Petrelius Grue for planting the idea of a field school in Norway and establishing the first contact.
Through the years the concepts of archaeology have been changed. The history of archaeology is pr... more Through the years the concepts of archaeology have been changed. The history of archaeology is primarily the history of ideas and the theory behind the way of which people perceived their past. The record of developing research methods and the discoveries come later, as the antiquarianism turned into science, around one hundred and fifty years ago. The archaeology of the 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th century is mostly associated with great discoveries such as the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of Kings, the lost Maya cities of Central America (Renfrew, Bahn 2000). On this basis, the commonly known image has grown, the picture of an archaeologist, as an adventurer travelling the world in pursuit of lost treasures. The popular culture only consolidated this stereotype. Today word 'archaeologist' has the same meaning as 'Indiana Jones'. This was not until 1960's, when archaeology changed the way it had worked. The birth of the New Archaeology and later movements (i.e. processual archaeology) brought this discipline closer to other sciences (Trigger 2003). The new approaches changed an adventurous gentleman into a scientist. Archaeology has always served science. A carefully selected site was excavated to obtain maximal results in terms of answering previously asked questions. From the stage of collecting antiquities it evolved, through collecting a find and information about its environment, to the level of recognisable science with its methodology and theory. However, at the turn of new century, archaeology yet again needs to meet the new demands. The ubiquitous development of infrastructure led to a debate on the protection of archaeological heritage. Suddenly a vast area of land and seabed became a field of competition between investors and archaeologists (Maarleveld & Auer 2009; Maarleveld 1998). The concern of importance of protecting archaeological and cultural heritage effected creation of The Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological heritage of Europe (also known as Valletta Treaty or Malta Convention), which was ratified in 1992. The document aims to protect the heritage 'as a source of European collective memory and as an instrument for historical and scientific study. All remains and objects and any other traces of humankind from past times are considered elements of the archaeological heritage. The notion of I have contacted eleven universities around the world which teach students on their maritime-archaeology-related faculties 1 . The list of the contacted universities is as follows (in alphabetic order): Alexandria University (Egypt), Bristol University (United Kingdom), East
Abstract Although the Danish Navy of different periods has been a subject of many historical s... more Abstract
Although the Danish Navy of different periods has been a subject of many historical studies, it seems that the human element of the fleet has been neglected by many of the researchers. It appears that common sailors, without whom even the mightiest navy would be forced to stay in the harbour, were usually hidden behind the numbers of statistics. The following thesis attempts to change this picture of the navy and bring to attention the lives of common sailors.
The study focuses on the period of the Great Northern War, 1700-1721. In the analysis, it uses the available archaeological material from the contemporary shipwrecks and compares it with the historical documents found in the State Archives in Copenhagen. The process shows the benefits of incorporating historical sources in the archaeological research, and more importantly the need for historians to do the same. It also examines the parallels and contradictions that can be seen in the materials.
As the result, out of the combination of this different types of sources a more accurate portrait of an average sailor is created. It shows his dress and equipment, and, where possible, relates to his life on board of an early 18th-century ship of the Danish-Norwegian Navy.
The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportiv... more The authors would like to thank the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the very friendly and supportive staff, especially Frode Kvalø, Dag Naevestad and Jørgen Johannessen for facilitating and supporting the field school in Skjernøysund. We are also indebted to Marja Liisa Petrelius Grue for planting the idea of a field school in Norway and establishing the first contact.