A 5th-Century-AD Sewn-Plank River Barge at St Maria in Padovetere (Comacchio-FE), Italy: an interim report

This article reports on the remains of a 5th-century-AD river barge excavated in 2014 and 2015. Most of the flat bottom and one side are preserved. The barge is at least 20 m in length and 2.9 m across the floor, and is constructed using sewn planks, iron nails and mortise-and-tenon fasteners. Both flush-laid and lapstrake planks are recorded. Archaeological, historical, iconographic and ethnographic evidence is used to propose explanations for features, such as the use of lapstrakes, a possible steering system and platform, and the likely position of a pump, while setting the barge in the context of the North Adriatic shipbuilding tradition. (C) 2016 The Authors