Comparison of Ship Building Techniques between Vikings and Chinese

Xiaoxue Hong, Pin-Hung Lin

Viking Ages793 AD to 1066 AD

唐宋Dynasty Tang and Song

618 AD – 1279 AD

Shipbuilding in Ancient China

Xiaoxue Hong

2013-11-21

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Introduction

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Canoe Raft

Introduction

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Introduction

First Shipbuilding Climax - in Qin and Han Dynasties

Second Shipbuilding Climax - in Tang and Song Dynasties

Third Shipbuilding Climax - in Yuan Dynasty

Forth Shipbuilding Climax - during the Ming Dynasty

Outline

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Second Shipbuilding Climax - in Tang and Song Dynasties

China's shipbuilding industry entered a period of maturity, both in quantity and quality in the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. Utilization of many shipbuilding techniques, such as the stern helm, the highly efficient propelling tool - scull, and the sails, were further improved during this period.

In Sui Dynasty, though short lived, enjoyed a highly developed shipbuilding industry. Ships built during this period were larger in body, more reasonable in configuration, and more complex in techniques. Among the various ships, there were plenty of ships capable of holding 600 to 700 people, with a length of over 66 meters.

A Model of Wuya Warship of the Sui Dynasty

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During the Song Dynasty, a huge ship named Shen Zhou was made, which boasted a carrying capacity of 1,500 tons and a hull length of 31.5 zhang (about 100 meters).

Shen Zhou ship in Song Dynasty

Second Shipbuilding Climax - in Tang and Song Dynasties

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The paddle wheel ship, a kind of warship that emerged during the Southern Dynasty, also got improved. The paddle wheel ship got wooden wheels installed on both sides of the hull, which greatly increased the ship's speed. Since the ancient ships were mostly sailing ships that could not easily sail against wind or water, the development of paddle wheel ships solved the problem to a certain extent.

paddle wheel ship

Second Shipbuilding Climax - in Tang and Song Dynasties

Vikings Ships

Shallow DraftThe narrow, light, wooden boat with a shallow draft hull achieves high speed and the capability for sailing both in sea and rivers.

Symmetric Design

The ship were designed as double-ended, which allows the ship to reverse direction quickly without having to turn around.

LapstrakeThe ships were built of wood overlapped and supported with the help of iron impales, making the ship much more lighter.

Referencehttp://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/norse_ships.htmhttp://thevikingworld.pbworks.com/w/page/3941468/Viking%20Age%20Shipbuildinghttp://www.polarization.com/viking/viking.htmlhttp://home.online.no/~joeolavl/viking/index.htmhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111803/Chinahttp://cul.shangdu.com/grand-sight/2010/20101104/306_99482_5.shtml

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