Portrait of Patrice Pomey

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(Loïc Damelet – Centre Camille Jullian, CNRS, 2013)

1Patrice Pomey, our dear friend and colleague, passed away on 7 March 2021.

2Patrice was one of the pioneers of underwater archaeology at the beginning of the 1970s and served as director of the Direction des Recherches archéologiques sous-marines (DRASM) from 1984 to 1991: from 1998 to 2010 he was editor-in-chief of the Archaeonautica collection, founded by Bernard Liou. From early in his career Patrice specialised in the study of ancient nautical construction, a research field that was in its infancy. As an internationally renowned scholar, he was called upon by all and sundry to interpret new discoveries. His kindness and friendliness, his willingness to share his immense knowledge, and his contagious enthusiasm for his subject have left a profound mark on all those who knew him.

3Patrice was a great supporter of the International Symposium on Boat and Ship Archaeology, to which he first contributed in 1988 in Amsterdam, and he was joint director alongside Éric Rieth of the seventh symposium held at Tatihou. He strongly hoped that France would host the event a second time in 2018, and this conference was an opportunity for him to promote the discipline that he played such a part in creating and which owes so much to him, as well as an occasion to celebrate his students, who have sustained and extended his work, and the Centre Camille Jullian, the research centre which he joined on its creation in 1978 and which he directed from 2000 to 2008. The collection of essays in his honour that were presented to Patrice on the opening day of the conference (De re navali. Pérégrinations nautiques entre Méditerranée et océan Indien, Archaeonautica 20, 2018) is a reflection of the admiration and affection he inspired in his colleagues and students. He often told us just how touched and delighted he was by the gesture. His considerable bibliography had been gathered together by his friends for the occasion and this volume also includes the titles of his final contributions in the keynote address delivered at the inauguration of the symposium and which he put to paper towards the end of 2020.

4Patrice retained a keen interest in Archaeonautica even after he handed over the editorial reins. He was an attentive reviewer, pinning down vagueness, pointing out holes in arguments and knowledge, underlining typos, and always in his inimitable style that mixed scholarly rigour with thoughtful and sensitive remarks. The very many articles that he revised and amended are a lot better for it. During preparation of the essays in his honour, of which he was unaware, we already felt just how much we missed his advice. Patrice was involved in the drafting and editing of this volume of proceedings up to the stage of sending the manuscript to CNRS Éditions in January, but he will not see its appearance. We hope that he would have been proud of the final version and we will continue, as orphans of his vast knowledge, along the route that he has lit. Sit tibi terra leuis, dear Patrice, you who loved so much the sea.

Marie Brigitte Carre
Editor-in-chief, Archaeonautica