Boats have long served as a vital means of transportation in the Mediterranean Sea, with evidence dating back over 7,000 years, far beyond recent centuries.

Remarkably, sophisticated boats have been navigating these waters for millennia, as revealed by excavations at the Neolithic lakeshore village of La Marmotta near Rome, Italy.

A recent study titled “The First Neolithic Boats in the Mediterranean: The Settlement of La Marmotta,” conducted by Juan Francisco Gibaja of the Spanish National Research Council in Barcelona and his colleagues, sheds light on this ancient seafaring technology.

Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study highlights the significance of the findings.

Excavations unearthed five canoes constructed from hollowed-out trees, known as dugout canoes, dating back to approximately 5700 BCE to 5100 BCE.

Analysis of these ancient vessels revealed that they were crafted from four different types of wood, a departure from the norm observed at similar sites, the Jerusalem Post reported.

While pine was typically the material of choice for Neolithic canoes, these canoes featured a variety of species, including poplar, oak, alder, and lime.

Furthermore, the boats exhibited advanced construction techniques, such as transverse reinforcements, indicating a level of craftsmanship and seaworthiness.

One particularly intriguing discovery was a canoe accompanied by three T-shaped wooden objects, each containing a series of holes believed to have been used for securing ropes tied to sails or other nautical components.

These findings, coupled with previous reconstruction experiments, strongly suggest that these vessels were capable of navigating the open sea—a conclusion further supported by the presence of stone tools associated with nearby islands at the excavation site.

Written by B.C. Begley