Dr. Brita Lorentzen's Ancient Ships and Seafaring class has been working this week with medieval and historical navigation instruments, such as an astrolabe and mariner's quadrant, to measure the locations of stars and landmarks on the UGA campus and learn the skills of ancient mariners. The class examines the history of ships, harbors, and human-sea interaction, particularly in the Mediterranean and Near East, until the Industrial Revolution. It covers archaeological methods for identifying and analyzing maritime sites; the evolution of shipbuilding technology and seafaring; and contemporary issues of heritage management, climate change, and human impacts on maritime heritage within marine ecosystems. Students learn hands-on by navigating the UGA campus. Tools used to measure the locations of stars and landmarks.
