16th International Symposium on Boat & Ship Archaeology

27 Zadar, Croatia | 26 September – 1 October 2021 Lucy Blue 1 , John P. Cooper 1 & Alessandro Ghidoni 2 1 Centre for Maritime Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK 2 Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK Conceiving shell; conceiving frame: switching and blurring in the building of the ngwanda , Zanzibar, Tanzania How do the academic notions such as frame- and shell-conceived construction play out in practice? How does a builder visualise, plan and execute the construc- tion of a vessel? And how can this process inform our understanding of how hulls might be conceived and completed more generally? This paper is the result of conversations with, and observations of, the builders of the carvel-built ngwanda , the most popular plank-based craft found today on Zanzibar and coastal Tanzanian generally. It focuses, conventionally, on aspects of the vessel’s construction, from method and sequence to the materials and tools used. Equally conventionally, it documents examples of the type via construction drawings, naval-lines plans and 3D photogrammetry. Less conventionally, the paper explores builders’ approaches and rationales in establishing the overall shape of the ngwanda , as well as exploring the ongoing dialectic between shell and frame that results in the completed hull. The degree of agency expressed through the decisions made is also explored by examining variations within type that provide insights into the individual shipwrights’ vary- ing choices, even from build to build. Finally, interviews with builders and fishermen provide further context to the ngwanda , which is used both as a fishing and leisure boat. The craft is a rela- tively recent innovation, and represents a prime example of how coastal commu- nities adapt to newly available technologies. The paper draws upon data collected primarily during fieldwork conducted in 2018 at Kinazini, a suburb of Stone Town, Zanzibar, supplemented by observa- tions made during fieldwork conducted in 2019–20 at Bagamoyo, mainland Tan- zania. It is part of a wider programme of documentation of watercraft heritage in Tanzania, a region where vernacular building is widespread, but where recording had previously been limited.