Page 37 - TINA Dergi Sayi 08

TINA

Maritime Archaeology Periodical

Masters kelek builders do not prefer
the skin of bovine animals, due to its
large size and thickness. The most im-
portant skill required in the process of
building a kelek is the ability to flay the
skin from the animal with no damage.
For this, it is necessary to remove the
skin by inflating and pounding hard.
Builders prefer not to use cutting tools,
such as knife, in order to avoid damage
to the skin.
Besides sheepskin, long poles of
poplar tree, tree branches, and reed are
required in order to build a kelek. This
type of craft has never had a standard
Fig. 8: Çattepe Höyük Kazıları’nda size. A kelek is constructed by increas-
ortaya çıkartılan iskele babası. (Fo- ing or decreasing the number of sheep-
toğraf: Haluk Sağlamtimur) skins depending on the type, weight,
Fig. 8: A bollard uncovered during and size of the cargo.
the Çattepe Mound excavations. Historically, a medium-size kelek
(Photo by Haluk Sağlamtimur) consisted of about 100 to 120 sheep-
skins, with a size of 4x5 meters or so.
Such a kelek had an average sitting
area of 20 to 25 square meters and an
average cargo capacity of 1 to 1.5 tons.
Cargo carrying keleks required more
sheepskins. There were also keleks
with sheepskins ranging from 300 to
800 pieces depending on the intended
use. However, large-size keleks were
generally not preferred, since it was
difficult to control them on the water.
After making the timber frame ready,
inflated sheepskins were fastened to
the frames (martak) made of poplar
trees, with their feet up. The mouth of
sheepskins would have been direct-
ed upwards as well, in order to make
it easier when they were torn or they
required inflation. While until recently
frames were connected to each other
Fig. 9: Layard’ın kitabındaki anlatımlarından sonra Ninive’den kelek- with willow or willow barks, and in-
le sfenks ve diğer arkeolojik buluntuların taşınması, Frederick Cooper flated sheepskins fastened with hemp
tarafından suluboya tablo olarak yapılmıştır. Orijinali İngiltere’deki or licorice root fibers, today woolen
Victoria ve Albert Müzesi’ndedir. ropes are primarily used. When keleks
Fig. 9: A watercolor painting of the transportation of sphinxes and oth- are used, it is necessary to have two
er archaeological finds by kelek from Nineveh was made by Frederick poles and two persons in order to gain
Cooper based on Layard’s accounts. The original painting is at the Vic- control of the raft on a timber frame-
toria and Albert Museum in England. work.
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