Q&A ยท 1:29:30-1:31:09

Did Rome and Carthage use different ship timber?

Probable northern Italian timber supplies can be identified more confidently than Carthaginian sources, since little hull wood survives.

Question

What wood did Rome and Carthage use, and would differences affect their ships' performance?

Short answer

Different timber would affect performance, but Roman supplies are only tentatively placed in northern Italy and the Carthaginian source is uncertain.

Notes

Northern Italian forests are the likely source of most Roman timber at this stage. Carthaginian supplies are assumed to have been local, but their origin remains uncertain. Bronze rams survive where much of the surrounding wood has rotted away, limiting direct comparison. Roman use of southern French timber belongs to a later period after Rome controlled that region.