We have a rough idea what Etruscan merchant ships must have looked like from a wall painting in The Tomb of The Ship in Tarquinia. This shows a two masted sailing ship, perhaps some 20 metres long. The perspective has been over-exaggerated by the artist, since the ship was painted on dry land, presumable looking up at it from below.
The picture shows a reconstruction of what this ship must have looked like. The lines show the probably water level. From a wreck of an Etruscan ship found off the island of Giglio, we have a reasonable idea of their construction. There is evidence to show that planks were butted together (not overlapped) and bound in place using thick ropes, which were passed through 2 centimetre (1") diameter holes in the planks. The gaps were probably then sealed using pitch.
The ship was quite squat in shape, and this example was totally different from Greek and Roman ships, in that it had two masts, rigged with square sails. The fact that it had square sails meant that quite often they had to wait many days for a favorable wind. Attached to the stern of the ship were two large steering oars. According to ancient accounts from the Greeks and the Romans, merchant vessels would sail within sight of land, and would weigh anchor at night in shallower water close to shore. Anchors were made of stone, and were typically inscribed with relevant details, such as "I am the property of Avle Spurinas". Ancient sources attribute the invention of the anchor to the Etruscans.
The cargoes of these merchant ships included many goods carried in amphorae, and many other goods such as metal ingots and pottery.
The shipping amphora was pointed in the ends, enabling storage on special racks with holes. However not all amphorae carried on ships were of this type, and flat based amphorae are also common.
http://www.mysteriousetruscans.com/sea.html
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