Egyptian Boats
Transportation has been a part of everyday culture since the beginning of time. In many societies transportation was used for travel, expeditions, trade, and religious purposes. In ancient Egypt the Nile was crucial to the lives of the Egyptians. Since roads were difficult to build in Egypt due to the immense amount of shifting sand, the Nile was the main source of transportation (Steedman 28). Transportation on the Nile was made possible by the construction of boats and ships. In the Middle Kingdom boats became popular and very abundant. Many things, other than people, traveled by boats, including messages, cargo, the deceased, and goods. In the Middle Kingdom, Egyptians used boats for many purposes, such as transportation, commerce, and religious reasons.Construction of boats and ships in the Middle Kingdom was detailed and meticulous work. Although Egypt was poor in wood, a sufficient amount came from other countries. On that account, the builders were able to bore holes along the edges of wood boards and lace them together with heavy rope (Meadowcroft 56). Often the workers covered the seams with thick layers of tar or pitch (Meadowcroft 56). Carpenters constructed most Egyptian boats. For most wood boats the car
Nile River, The. Home Page. 17 Nov. 1999 http://rivermoo.com:8889/652. l and could be unhooked when not in use and stowed away on crutches. The boom was lashed to the mast, but the upper portion was free and could be lowered when taking in the sail. Records show that a central shelf, which ran down the middle of the boat at deck level, contributed longitudinal strength to the vessel and numerous bisecting crossbeams provided lateral strength. In the Middle Kingdom boats were not flat bottomed with square angular ends, but had round-bottomed, spoon shaped hulls. The bows of the boats were horizontal and the stern rose abruptly; ending in a curved stern-piece intended particularly to support the steering oar. The oarsmen controlled the rowing oars, which were placed either in grommets or against hole-pins with inverted hooks. The oarsmen had individual seats either in the shape of plain blocks or chairs with low backs (Jones 45-48). The construction of vessels greatly impacted the use of boats in ancient Egypt. Egyptian Project 1. Home Page. 17 Nov. 1999 http://www.best.com/~swanson/egypt/egypt5.html. Another type of ship was the cargo ship. The Egyptians imported many luxury goods from Punt, on the coast of east Africa. Trader's bravely traveled through the wild Indian Ocean to get to there. In Punt they loaded their ships with gold, ebony, incense, trees, exotic oils and resin, ivory, leopard skins, pet dogs, and baboons. Throughout the day goods and riches similar to these such as li
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Approximate Word count = 1015
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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