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Mediterranean Carrack

Type Object Region Mediterranean Time 1300–1600

The carrack was a large multi-masted sailing ship that evolved in the 14th–16th century Mediterranean–Atlantic trade system, combining Arab–Mediterra…

Timeline

  1. 1300–1400Genoa–Venice routes · LiguriaIn the trade expansion following the Crusades, Italian city-states and Iberian ports developed larger, higher-capacity Mediterranean round ships with mixed sail rigs, laying the hull and sail-plan foundations of the carrack.
  2. c. 1400–1500Lisbon · PortugalPortuguese and Castilian shipbuilders combined the Mediterranean round ship with Northern European square sails, producing large carracks suited to Atlantic seas and winds, supporting exploration and trade along the African coast.
  3. c. 1500–1580Indian Ocean routes · Indian OceanThe carrack became the main ship type for voyages such as da Gama's, linking the spice trades of Europe, Africa, and Asia and marking the formation of the early modern global maritime network.

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