Archaeological Classification of Age of Sail Shipwrecks Based on Genever’s Material Culture

This article analyses archaeological evidence for jenever (spelled genever in English) the Dutch Republic during Age of Sail (1550–1850). Although excessive alcohol consumption among mariners is a stereotype, there has been surprisingly little critical scholarly work on subject. Genever was used ships medicinal purposes seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but no thorough analysis broadly (VOC, WIC, Admiralty) maritime context done to date. Since stored distinctive bottle, record helpful examine ship’s consumption. theorises that material personal as commodity export can be aid identifying shipwreck’s nationality, hypothesis tested through sample European wrecks excavated along global shipping routes commercial naval sailing vessels. There strong correlation between presence both case bottles (kelderflessen) and, later period, stoneware (jeneverkruiken) with shipwrecks or archaeology sites this strongly suggested consider archaeologists faced shipwreck unknown origin.