Urbanism Under Sail : An Archaeology of Fluit Ships in Early Modern Everyday Life

In the seventeenth- and early eighteenth centuries fluits were the most common ships used in the trade between the Dutch Republic and Sweden. The fluit was ubiquitous, becoming such a fixture in both the maritime and urban landscapes that these ships were almost invisible. Despite there having been thousands of more or less identical ships built, surprisingly little is known about their sculptural embellishments, how space on board was arranged and how early modern everyday life was lived on board. Far from all voyages reached their destination. Down in the cold and dark brackish water of the Baltic Sea, the conditions for preservation of organic material are optimal and several of the unfortunate fluits still remain intact today. Inspired by phenomenological approaches in archaeology this thesis focuses on the lived experience of fluits. Using well-preserved wrecks it examines seemingly mundane everyday aspects, from the physical arrangements for eating, sleeping and answering nature’s call to their rearrangement for naval use. The study concludes with a consideration of the architectonical contribution of the fluit to the urban landscape.