Reconstruction and Quantitative Analysis of the Egadi Islands Warship Rams – 2013-2015

Jon Henderson

Two grants were awarded by the Foundation for the analysis of the Egadi Islands Warship Rams. More information about the Battle of the Egadi Islands Project can be found here.

Analysis of the Battle of the Egadi Islands artifacts is revealing a considerable amount regarding the manufacture of large, single cast objects in Antiquities, as well as the function of rams. The first Honor Frost Foundation grant allowed for the critical recording of basic quantitative measurements of the warship rams such as weight and dimensions, metal analysis, and provenance data. This research provided high-resolution three-dimensional models and elemental composition that allowed for the second grant’s experimental inquiry. The second grant allowed for the reverse engineering of the rams, providing new information on the source of ores in the Roman Period and methods of ancient Lost Wax casting. 

A report on the 2015 analysis of the warship rams can be found here

A report on the 2013 analysis of the warship rams can be found here

3D model of the Egadi 8 Ram that is being reverse engineered (Dr Jon Henderson (University of Nottingham), Dr Jeff Royal (RPM Nautical Foundation), Dr Sebastiano Tusa (Soprintenza del Mare), and Peter Campbell (University of Southampton)