Date:

Neolithic people navigated the Mediterranean Sea using sophisticated boats

A study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, proposes that Neolithic communities living along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea utilised technologically sophisticated boats for travel and trade 7,000 years ago.

Archaeologists from the Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona, have conducted a study of canoes found at the Neolithic lakeshore village of La Marmotta, located near Rome, Italy.

- Advertisement -

The researchers have identified that five recovered canoes were crafted from hollowed-out trees, utilising four distinct varieties of wood: Pinus sylvestris, Populus tremula, Quercus sp, Alnus sp, and Tilia sp.

According to the study, the canoes date from between 5700-5100 BC and indicate an advanced understanding of construction techniques such as transverse reinforcements.

One canoe is also associated with three T-shaped wooden objects, each with a series of holes that were likely used to fasten ropes tied to sails or other nautical elements.

Such features, along with reconstruction experiments, indicate that the canoes were seaworthy vessels, a conclusion supported by the presence of stone tools linked to nearby islands.

- Advertisement -

Similarities between the canoes and more recent nautical technologies support the idea that many major advances in sailing were made during the early Neolithic. The authors suggest there may be more boats preserved near La Marmotta, a potential avenue for future research.

The authors add: “Direct dating of Neolithic canoes from La Marmotta reveals them to be the oldest in the Mediterranean, offering invaluable insights into Neolithic navigation. This study reveals the amazing technological sophistication of early agricultural and pastoral communities, highlighting their woodworking skills and the construction of complex vessels.”

Header Image Credit : Gibaja et al., 2024, PLOS ONE

Sources : PLOS ONE – Gibaja JF, Mineo M, Santos FJ, Morell B, Caruso-Fermé L, Remolins G, et al. (2024) The first Neolithic boats in the Mediterranean: The settlement of La Marmotta (Anguillara Sabazia, Lazio, Italy). PLOS ONE 19(3): e0299765. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299765

- Advertisement -
spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 7,500 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Underwater scans reveal lost submerged landscape

Researchers from the Life on the Edge project, a collaboration between the University of Bradford and the University of Split, has revealed a lost submerged landscape off the coast of Croatia using underwater scans.

Buried L-shaped structure and anomalies detected near Giza Pyramids

A geophysical study by archaeologists from the Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), have detected an L-shaped structure and several anomalies near the Giza Pyramids using geophysics.

Archaeologists search for traces of the “birthplace of Texas”

As part of a $51 million project, archaeologists have conducted a search for traces of Washington-on-the-Brazos, also known as the “birthplace of Texas”.

Archaeologists find moated medieval windmill

Archaeologists from MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) have uncovered a moated medieval windmill during construction works of the National Highways A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement scheme in Bedfordshire, England.

Archaeologists find preserved Bronze Age wooden well

Archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology have uncovered a well-preserved Bronze Age wooden well in Oxfordshire, England.

Bronze Age treasures stolen from Ely Museum

Thieves have broken into Ely Museum and stolen historical treasures dating from the Bronze Age.

Dune restoration project uncovers intact WWII bunkers

A restoration project to remove invasive plants from dunes in the Heist Willemspark, Belgium, has led to the discovery of three intact WWII bunkers.

Recent findings shed light on the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke

Ongoing excavations by archaeologists from The First Colony Foundation have revealed new findings on the historical narrative of the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke.