2024-03-22 18:37:40
Research that has uncovered technologically sophisticated boats used more than 7,000 years ago in the Mediterranean demonstrates the advanced seamanship skills of early European civilizations, indicating a deep knowledge of boat construction and potential for future archaeological discoveries. Digging a canoe 5. Credit: Gibaja et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0
Italian canoes show an early development of sophisticated marine technology.
More than 7,000 years ago, people navigated the Mediterranean using technologically sophisticated boats, according to research recently published in the open access journal. PLOS ONE by Juan P. Gibaja from the Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona and colleagues.
Many of the most important cultures in Europe originated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. During the Neolithic period, communities clearly traveled and traded on the water, as evidenced by vessels in the archaeological record and the presence of coastal and island settlements. In this study, Gibaja and colleagues provide new insights into the history of maritime technology through an analysis of canoes at the Neolithic lakeside village of La Marmotta, near Rome, Italy.
An excavation at this site found five canoes built from hollow trees (dugout canoes) dating between 5700-5100 BC. An analysis of these boats reveals that they are built from four different types of wood, unusual among similar sites, and that they include advanced construction techniques such as lateral reinforcements.
One canoe is also tied to three T-shaped wooden objects, each with a series of holes that were probably used to fasten ropes tied to sails or other nautical elements. These features, along with previous recovery attempts, indicate that these are seaworthy vessels, a conclusion supported by the presence at the site of stone vessels associated with nearby islands.
Canoe Marmotta 1. On display at the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome. Credit: Gibaja et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0
The significance of Neolithic canoe construction
The authors describe these canoes as exceptional examples of prehistoric boats whose construction required a detailed understanding of structural design and wood properties in addition to well-organized specialized labor. Similarities between these canoes and more recent marine technologies support the idea that many major advances in sailing were made during the Early Neolithic period. The authors suggest that there may be more preserved boats near La Marmotte, a potential avenue for future research.
The authors add: “Direct dating of Neolithic canoes from La Marmota reveals that they are the oldest in the Mediterranean, offering invaluable insights into Neolithic navigation. This study reveals the remarkable technological sophistication of early agricultural and pastoral communities, emphasizing the skills of woodworking and complex tool building “.
Funding: The research was carried out within the framework of the cooperation agreement between the Museo delle Civiltà and the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (Centers in Barcelona International Monetary Fund-CSIC and Rome EEHAR-CSIC) and the National Accelerator Center (CNA) in Seville. Several projects resulted from this collaboration funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the State Research Agency of Spain, the Marie Curie Europe Program, the JdC-Formación 2020 AEI program and the Ministry of University and Research of Italy: PID2020-112513RB-I00/AEI /10.13039/501100011033, HAR2016-75201-P , PIAR-201818008, PIAR-201918010, QUANT-792544, PICT-2015-2541 and the Rita Levi Montalcin project. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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