Neolithic boats

close
more_vert
Hob H
Hob Nov 22, 2005 23:13:27
Replying to PeterH

Cheers for those Peter, they match up pretty well with what I'd imagined from your written descriptions.

I think there has to be a high probability that proto-vikings did use craft such as those you describe.
The thing that nags at the back of my mind is those projecting spurs. They look like rams, which is mainly why Phonecian biremes are brought to mind.

What are the spurs, and how would the skin be attached from the spur to the prow/upper rim?

P PeterH
PeterH Nov 23, 2005 09:03:42
Replying to Hob

I don't know what the spurs are and agree that they do look like rams, but there is nearly always a spur aft as well. I wonder if there was not one spur, but two parallel spurs which wouldn't be apparent from the profiles on the rocks. Could they have acted as a kind of ski when coming into a shelving beach?
I know it sounds daft, but most show another spur or spurs at the rear end. Perhaps the boats could be hauled out of the water and used as sledges over ice and snow - sort of Bronze Age amphibious vehicle :0)

Hopefully Landstrom might have something to to say on them

P PeterH
PeterH Nov 24, 2005 11:38:12
Replying to Hob

Received Bjorn Landstrom's magnificent book this morning. He clears up some of the points we have discussed.

Yes - he is confident that the rock pictures depict skin boats and were as seaworthy as umiaks and curraghs. He reckons that the mysterious spurs are runners so that when the boats were dragged up out of the water on to rough beaches, the hide would not be damaged.

An insight into the apparent masts which would be just about impossible in anything but a keeled wooden boat is given from his own childhood in Finland. He used leafy tree branches to catch the wind.

I have copied a page from the book as fair copying for study purposes. Even so, I shall delete it after a few days.

You can see it at http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=a312&file=index&do=showpic&pid=17760

I'm happy to search the book for possible answers to further questions