About ISBSA

ISBSA  History

The first lntemational Symposium on Boat and Ship Archaeology (ISBSA) was organized on the suggest of E.V. ‘Ted’ Wright by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. in 1976.

The purpose was to “bring together all those involved in the study of the form, structure, function, and operational performance of ancient boats.

Under the direction of Sean McGrail, the chairman of the organising committee, the first symposium examined the methodological problems of studying boat remains. Many of the topics addressed at that initial meeting, such as experimental archaeology and ethnography. have remained core elements in the programs of subsequent conferences.

The themes of meetings have varied, although the subject matter until 2000 was primarily focused on Northem Europe. Held every three years since 1976. the meetings were hosted by a different institution, and all the proceedings have been published. These volumes have become not only sources of much useful information for scholars of the history of shipbuilding, but also a snapshot history of the field of maritime archaeology in Europe over almost four decades.


Previous ISBSA

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ISBSA 15 – Marseilles 2018 G. Boetto, P. Pomey & P. Poveda (eds.)
ISBSA 14 – Gdansk 2015 J. Litwin & W. Ossowsky (eds)
ISBSA 13 – Amsterdam 2012
J. Gawronski, A. van Holk & J. Schokkenbroek (eds)
ISBSA 12 – Istanbul 2009 N. Gunsenin (ed.)
ISBSA 11 – Mainz 2006 R. Bockius (ed.)
ISBSA 10 – Roskilde 2003 L. Blue, F. Hocker & A. Englert (eds)
ISBSA 09 – Venice 2000 C. Beltrame (ed.)
ISBSA 08 – Gdansk 1997 J. Litwin (ed.)
ISBSA 07 – Tatihou 1994 P. Pomey & E. Rieth (eds)
ISBSA 06 – Roskilde 1991 C. Westerdahl (ed.)
ISBSA 05 – Amsterdam 1988 R. Reinders & K. Paul (eds)
ISBSA 04 – Porto 1985 O. L. Filgueiras (ed.)
ISBSA 03 – Stockholm 1982 C. O. Cederlund (ed.)
ISBSA 02 – Bremerhaven 1978 S. McGrail (ed.)
ISBSA 01 – Greenwich 1976 S. McGrail (ed.)