Rayna Li, Má: The Ancient Boat Lab,
2022
3.48 x 2.44 m (137 x 96 in.)
Wheatpaste "mural" on a construction fence
My project draws inspiration from my personal experience working with Má: The Ancient Boat Lab — an experimental archaeology initiative aimed at scientifically reconstructing a 4000-year-old Bronze Age boat through available textual, iconographic, and archaeological evidence. Unlike canonical methods of historical research, which often exist only in words, experimental archaeology breaks the boundaries between academic inquiry and hands-on practice. Not only do the researchers consult historical records and artifacts such as ancient clay models, bitumen fragments, cuneiform tablets, and seal imprints to gain a better understanding of the past, but they also work closely with skilled craftsmen to reconstruct historical techniques of shipbuilding through intangible heritage knowledge.
As an emerging art historian, I am especially moved by this unwavering spirit of exploration that defies established disciplinary categories and preconceived hierarchies of cerebral versus embodied knowledge. Thus, my mural seeks to pay homage to the team’s impressive work and publicize the essence of their innovative methodology. Chiefly, the notion of breakthrough is central to my design. I have created a paper collage of historical evidence that the team used to support their boat reconstruction, and I photographed a physical act of peeling away these layers of information to reveal the boat in progress — the emerging product of this experimental project. At the same time, my mural seeks to spotlight the team of workers who push the inquiry forward despite the harsh outdoor conditions. I have enlarged their group portrait and placed it alongside museum documents and scholarly publications, hence drawing attention to their equally remarkable contribution to scientific knowledge through skill-based practice and physical labor.
