Dr. Marcin Kotyl from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, has been awarded two new research grants. The funding will enable him to carry out advanced studies on ship construction techniques in Roman and Greco-Roman Egypt.
As part of the Bekker NAWA program, Dr Kotyl will analyse papyrological sources, literary descriptions, and archaeological finds to reconstruct the typology of ships and the techniques used in their construction in Greco-Roman Egypt. The work, which involves collecting and analysing textual and archaeological data, will then enable experimental reconstruction and 3D simulation using AI-based model generators capable of converting text and images.
Project title: Ships and Shipbuilding in Greco-Roman Egypt: From Ancient Texts to Modern 3D Models
Duration: 12 months: 1 January 2026 – 30 December 2026
Bekker NAWA Domestic Component (link)
With support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, Dr Kotyl will conduct a detailed study of rare aspects of shipbuilding in Roman Egypt. The primary objective of the project is to conduct a study of certain unusual aspects of shipbuilding in Roman Egypt, as revealed by an unpublished Greek papyrus document from the Giessen Collections, P.Giss. inv. 268. The project consists of two parts: firstly, a comprehensive critical edition of the papyrus. The second and central part of the project will focus on detailed and thorough lexical, semantic, and historical research of each item found in the papyrus, situated within a broader nautical context.
Project title: Shipbuilding in Roman Egypt: A lexical and historical study based on new papyrological evidence
Duration: 3 months: 15 October 2025 – 15 January 20
Gerda Henkel Stiftung (link)
Congratulations!