Topics in History - Boats

Following up once more on one of my previous posts, this entry will be about boats and their development over time and in different areas.

In particular, we will be focusing on boats in the following eras and areas:

• Prehistoric
• Ancient Egyptian
• Ancient Chinese

 

Prehistoric Boats

Boats started out fairly simply, there there is controversy about where and how they began. One theory suggests that the first boats were rafts - first made out of bamboo, then wood (Vaucher, 2009).

Dugout Canoes would logically have followed next. A large tree trunk or chunk of wood would be burned, and then the burned parts would be scooped out to leave a hollow area (Lambert).

The main - if not only - method of propulsion at this time was people, usually via rowing.

Ancient Egyptian Boats

Ancient Egyptian boats were made of papyrus reeds, as wood was much more scarce (Reshafim, 2000). Boats were mainly steered with oars, but the Egyptians made several advancements - particularly with the development of the sail (Lambert). They first used leafy branches and plants, though later sails of woven reeds replaced them (Williamson, 2007). Between this and the development of canals, boats and rafts became one of the primary forms of transportation throughout Ancient Egypt.

Boats were used to foster even more trade between areas. The exchange of items and information led to a more interconnected world. However, because of the simplicity of early boats, trade routes were often highly influenced by the time of year, as seasonal winds made sailing easy in some directions and near-impossible in others (Reshafim, 2001).

Ancient Chinese Boats

China's most famous ancient ship is known as a "junk," developed during the Han Dynasty - around 300 B.C. -  300 A.D.  (Country Facts & Information, 2004). While the junk had many features, one of the biggest and most influential one was its sail. The junk's sail was designed so it could be moved and turned, allowing a boat to sail into the wind (Country Facts & Information, 2004) .

Sources

Country Facts & Information. (2004). Ancient china ships. Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/china/ancient-china-ships/2414

Lambert, T. (n.d.). A brief history of transportation. Retrieved from http://www.localhistories.org/transport.html 

Reshafim, K. (2000). Ships and boats: The archealogical evidence. Retrieved from http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/navigation.htm 

Reshafim, K. (2001). Means of transportation. Retrieved from http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/means_of_transportation.htm 

Vaucher, J. (2009). Prehistoric boats. Retrieved from http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~vaucher/RW/Voiliers/page1/page1.html 

Williamson, M. (2007, September 07). The first boats. Retrieved from http://warandgame.com/2007/09/07/the-first-boats/