OXFORD'S
The First Ten Years of MARE By Timothy G. Dingemans Many great institutions are founded on the tery in the home of one of the people who had enthusiasm, foresight and inspiration of one been looting the wreck 20 years before. Reindividual. This is certainly the case of Oxalizing its potential importance, Mensun ford University MARE (Maritime Archaeobegan to ask questions, but was told that to logical Research), one of the biggest and learn more he would have to see Reg most successful maritime archaeological Vallintine, the wreck's discoverer who had teams in the world, started by Mensun Bound tried to prevent the plunder by establishing a museum on the island. It was at a meeting a decade ago. Since Sea History was the first magazine with Reg that the decision was made to put together a team to relocate the site. In effect, to champion seriously the cause of the Falkland Island Cape Homers, it is approprithat day saw the birth of MARE. ate that this tribute should appear in these It was at this point, through an arrangement made by Peter Throckmorton, that pages, because Mensun is a Falkland IsMensun, the young man of the sea, met the lander whose interest in maritime archaeology was first sparked off by a fascination Grand Old Man of the Sea, Frank Carr, thus with the old square-riggers from the great beginning a relationship between Oxford and age of sai l whose hulked remains dot his the World Ship Trust (of which Frank was the native shores. After school in Uruguay , founding chairman) that has resulted in many Mensun went to sea in an old steamer that MARE Director Mensun Bound. fine ships being surveyed or excavated. Othplied between the Falklands, South Georgia, ers who were crucial to the success of MARE Uruguay and Chile. In 1971 he jumped ship in the Straits of and who joined at this time were Sir John Boardman, Lincoln Magellan and, over eight months, hitched to the States in Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology, Lord Bullock, a search of a university education. He spent over six years former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, Prof. Francesco Nicosia, working and studying in New York, during which time he the Superintendent of Archaeology for Tuscany and Dr. Paola drove taxis, loaded trucks, worked as a research assistant at the Rendini, the Archaeological InspectorofGiglio. Reg Vallintine Metropolitan Museum of Art, and spent many afternoons with joined to become the team's first Chief Diver. his books on the deck of the Wavertree (which regular readers One important person who has not yet been mentioned is will remember has a special association with the Falklands, as Joanna Yellowlees. She was studying at Oxford when she met she was condemned there) . In 1979, Mensun left his beloved Men sun. She was to be as enthusiastic as he about the world of Greenwich Village apartment, and, with top academic honors maritime archaeology. Indeed, so much so that she ended up in ancient history and archaeology, moved to Oxford to con- marrying him; they now have a baby boy. Much of the earl y tinue his studies amidst the "dreaming spires." Soon after this, footwork was done by Joanna as they traveled around Europe he joined George Bass's team in Turkey, and then went on to securing information and support. The excavation of the Giglio ship, which was in 50m of work with the French on the famous Madraque de Giens wreck, followed by several stints on the Mary Rose in the mud water and can be dated to circa 600 BC, lasted six years and of the Solent. With this experience of the best universities, culminated in the recovery of a 10-foot length of keel and its museums and archaeological teams in the world, the stage was associated lower timbers. This was an event that was widely covered by the world's press, so that overset for the formation of MARE. night, the work of MARE became famous. MARE's Past Once the remains of the hull were ashore it The story of MARE begins with the Giglio The Oxford University MARE was evident that the ship was of sewn conship. This was an Etruscan wreck that was research vessel Ghibli. struction. Numerous other items were, of cou rse, found in the early 1960s by a British diver, Reg Vallintine, off the Tu scan island of excavated, but since these will be the subject Giglio. Unfortunately, the artifacts showing of a future article, I will here content myself above the surface of the seabed were soon by mentioning only the musical pipes which the ship was carrying. These have recently plundered, but much of what was beneath the been conserved in Florence. Through these sand survived. The most spectacu lar item to be taken at this time was a Greek helmet pipes for the first time scholars have been able to reconstruct the Etruscan musical scale. beautifuliy engraved with wi ld boars and Replicas of the pipes have been made at the serpents: The quality of its workmanship and Conservatoire of Music in Florence and later artistry indicates that it was not only a functhis year there will be a special recital. tional item of warfare but also a prestige Concurrently with the work on Giglio, object that was owned by a man of some conthe team was conducting a three-year survey siderable status. Sadly, it is now in a private of the ancient Punic-Roman harbor of Marcollection in a bank vault in Germany. The sala in Sici ly. In addition to amphorae, the helmet is featured in the MARE crest. After the initial looting, the wreck beteam recovered ancient anchors and items of came lost in time until 1981 when Mensun fine ware and statuary. Other surveys carried saw by chance a fragment of Etruscan potout during the first half of the 80s were at SEA HISTORY 100, SPRING 2002
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