Browsing by Subject "16th century"
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Item 16th Century Cast-Bronze Ordnance at the Museu de Angra do Heroismo(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Hoskins, Sara GraceWithin the collections of the Museu de Angra do Heroismo (Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal) are nine cast bronze guns from the 16th century. Most were raised from the seafloor between the 1960s and 1990s, but this study comprises the first in-depth research into their design and manufacture. The importance of this kind of study lies in the fact that ordnance is commonly found on shipwrecks of this time. A greater knowledge of guns will help provide information about the ships from which they came. Careful documentation and study of the Museu de Angra cannon will add greatly to their value as museum exhibits, by allowing museum patrons to better understand where the guns came from, how they were cast, and why they were important. This documentation adds to our knowledge of Western European gunfounding technology during the sixteenth century, as four different countries commissioned the guns: Portugal, Spain, France, and England. With detailed documentation and publication, the Museu de Angra bronze guns can be added to the bibliography of ordnance of this period, which will aid future researchers who encounter similar pieces. The Museu de Angra bronze guns, as symbols of the military and naval power of the countries that commissioned them, were sent aboard ships, into the field, and mounted on fortress walls. Bronze guns of this time period are particularly important, as bronze was an expensive commodity, and the demand for ordnance was increasing rapidly. Countries developed more effective ways to make use of iron for the founding of guns, and the use of bronze became more symbolic of wealth. The information that each gun contains includes both the cutting-edge military technology of the time and the artistic statement of the founder. Some of the finest metalwork of the period was displayed in cast bronze guns, and due to the founding techniques, no two are the same, making each an important piece of history.Item A Parametric Model of the Portuguese Nau(2012-02-14) Cook, CharlesThis interdisciplinary research project combines the fields of nautical archaeology and computer visualization in order to create an interactive virtual reconstruction of a Portuguese nau. Information about the shipbuilding process is gathered from 16th and 17th century treaties by Fernando Oliveira and Joao Batista Lavanha, as well as from Dr. Filipe Castro (Texas A&M Department of Anthropology). Eight registered tonnage formulas from the 15th to 17th century are used to estimate the cargo capacity of the nau. Using this information, I develop an algorithm that creates a parametric computer model of a nau hull and calculates its registered tonnage. This parametric model allows the user to choose between the Oliveira and Lavanha hull shapes, adjust parameters to fine tune the hull shape further, and save the information about the hull shape for future editing. The eight registered tonnage estimates are compared to the volume of the parametric hull model below a generic waterline. The process I use to adapt the information provided by the two shipbuilding treatises into an algorithm determines the hull shape of a nau. This allows for projects in the future to introduce other shipbuilding approaches and information as it becomes available to this parametric model.Item Heavenly influences : the cosmic and social order of New Spain at the turn of the seventeenth century(2009-12) Peterson, Heather Rose; Deans-Smith, Susan, 1953-; Ca�izares-Esguerra, Jorge; Kamil, Neil; Twinam, Ann; Wade, MariaThis is the story of Spanish belonging in New Spain and the creation of New Spaniards. Tracing Spanish perceptions of place, the body, belonging, and Indian mortality, as well as constructions of “nativeness” and “Spanishness” from the conquest, this work does three things. First it examines the ideological constructs behind Spanish belonging, and the ideas that Spaniards brought with them about their bodies and their relationship to the environment. Second it follows the progression of these ideas through the first three generations of Spanish colonization, paying particular attention to the way that political rivalries, the exigencies of the crown, and Indian mortality affected discourse on belonging and identity. Finally, it captures a moment at the turn of the seventeenth century, when residents of New Spain began to re-imagine their belonging and their relationship to the land and its original inhabitants.Item Instrucci??ica (1587) by Diego Garc?de Palacio: an early nautical handbook from Mexico(2009-05-15) Laanela, Erika ElizabethIn 1587, an ambitious colonial bureaucrat in Mexico City published a handbook titled Instrucci?n n?utica. Although navigational books were common throughout the 16th century, the Instrucci?n n?utica was the first printed volume that included an extensive discussion of ship construction and design, and its publication was thus a significant event in the history of early modern nautical technology. While the work is frequently cited in discussions of 16th-century Spanish ship construction and seafaring, little in-depth analysis of the text has been undertaken to verify its accuracy. In order to understand the significance of the book, a critical evaluation was undertaken of its context and content and of the motivations and background of its author. Analysis of documents written by, about, and to Diego Garc?a de Palacio reveals that he held positions of academic, religious, and political power in New Spain, that his motives for publishing the book were complex, and that he consulted a range of disparate sources. Significantly, archival correspondence suggests that Garc?a de Palacio was an observer and administrator of navigation and ship construction, rather than an expert practitioner. Nonetheless, comparison of the technical content of the book with other sources of information for 16th-century ships and seafaring, including contemporary treatises, iconography, and archaeological materials confirms the overall accuracy of the text. The navigational materials included in the Instrucci?n n?utica reflect information adapted from existing texts, providing a solid overview of the most common techniques of navigation in use at the time. While useful, Garc?a de Palacio?s discussion of ship design was clearly intended for a non-specialist audience. Perhaps the most original technical contributions are his descriptions of the rigging of Spanish ships. The brief discussion of naval strategy is historically significant due to its juxtaposition between the last of the great naval battles fought primarily with boarding tactics, and the movement toward increasing reliance on the broadside. By comparing Garc?a de Palacio?s text to other sources of information, this study has confirmed the reputation of the Instrucci?n n?utica as one of the most comprehensive and accurate written descriptions of 16th-century Spanish seafaring practices.Item The Key to All the Indies: Defense of the Isthmus of Panama(2013-04-09) DuBard, BryanaBeginning in the 16th century, the Isthmus of Panama was identified as a region of strategic importance. Although mountainous and prone to adverse weather, it provided the most direct route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. During this period the Isthmus served as the primary route for the shipments of silver and gold extracted from the mines of Peru. The bullion was transported via coastal armadas from Peru to Panam? la Vieja, where it was loaded onto pack mules and hauled across the Isthmus to Nombre de Dios until 1597, and after that to Portobelo. Once the bullion arrived at the Caribbean port cities it was transferred to the ships of the Armada de la Guardia de la Carrera de Indias and shipped across the Atlantic to the royal coffers of Spain. Because of the Isthmus?s role in the transportation of valuable commodities, it quickly became a region prone to attacks by pirates and privateers looking to profit from the plunder of Spanish assets. Thus the Spanish crown began a campaign to defend the Isthmus early on and repeatedly adapted its defensive strategy in order to meet the ever-changing tactics of the pirates and privateers. This thesis investigates the history of the Isthmus of Panama and the ways in which Spain defended this strategically significant locale during the 16th century. It incorporates an historical analysis of the tactics planned, ordered, and executed by the crown; an overview of the most relevant structural remains of the fortifications built during this period; and a synopsis of previous archaeological investigations, as well as the prospects of future archaeological research. The thesis begins with a brief history of the three main cities located on the Isthmus as well as a general description of the geography and climate in order to better explain the challenges faced by the inhabitants, soldiers, and attackers in this region. It then discusses the strategic importance of the Isthmus as it was perceived in the 16th century. Since defense would not have been necessary had it not been for the presence of pirates and privateers, the history of attacks on the Isthmus is discussed, and a general overview of piracy in the Spanish Main during the period under analysis is presented. Lastly, the archaeological work previously undertaken in the region is examined and summarized, and recommendations for further research are provided in an effort to provide a basis for future study of the ships and infrastructure used during this era for the defense of the Isthmus of Panama.