Author: Jal, Augustin [1795-1873]
Title: Archéologie navale : Tome I & II
Description: Paris, Arthus Bertrand, Editeur, 1840. 1/4-leather. 23x15cm, 490 + 671 pp. Hinges tender. Corners rubbed. Embossed stamp to cover. Rubberstamps & labels to flyleaves. Some foxing to first and last pages.. An 8cm tear to front exterior hinge of vol. 2. Spine faded. Good ¶ TWO VOLUMES. Weighs 1.9 kilos. Contemporary binder's quarter-leather. [ " Jal published 'L'Archeologie Navale' in two volumes in 1840. It is arguably the first publication on nautical or maritime archaeology and is one of the earliest known publications on the history of shipbuilding based on original documentation and archaeological remains. Jal is considered by many to be the pioneer of naval or marine archaeology... Between October 1834 and February 1835 Jal travelled extensively throughout France and Italy visiting archaeological sites and museums and in 1840 published L'Archeologie Navale. Jal did not attempt to make an overall treatise of naval architecture but instead wrote a series of long essays on diverse subjects including the ships of ancient Egypt, France and the Normans; the oared ships of the Middle Ages; the construction and rigging of the galleys and lateen rigged ships of the 14th century; Venetian galleys of the 13th century; the round ships or Naos of the Middle Ages; Scottish, English, French and Italian nautical poems and songs of the 12th, 13th and 14th century; and the voyages of the Pantagruel...Although L' Archeologie Navale has subsequently been criticised for its dependence upon written rather than archaeological and material sources it was a pioneering work in its field and Jal is now considered by many as being one of the earliest pioneers of the discipline of naval or marine archaeology and his work is still consulted today ( Kemp, 1988)..." - from Australian National Maritime Museum catalogue].

Keywords: French Naval History, Marine Archaeology, Archeology, Shipbuilding, , , , ,