Remains of World’s Oldest Ships Found in Egypt

[Dover]

Remains of World’s Oldest Ships Found in Egypt

By Heather Whipps
Special to LiveScience
06 March 2006


Excavations at an ancient Egyptian shipyard have unearthed remains of the world's oldest seafaring ships.

The 4,000-year-old timbers were found alongside equally ancient cargo boxes, anchors, coils of rope and other naval materials just as old, at what archaeologists are calling a kind of ancient military administration site.

The massive complex, made up of six manmade caves, is located at Wadi Gawasis, a small desert bluff on the Red Sea near the modern city of Port Safaga. According to Cheryl Ward, Florida State University archaeologist and part of the excavation team, the age of the finds is remarkable.

"Older water crafts, like dug-out canoes, have been found throughout the world, but these are the oldest sea-going ships. More significantly, the next oldest in Egypt are 700 years younger," Ward told LiveScience in a telephone interview.

Just as crucial, however, is what the find says about ancient Egypt's naval capacity...cont'd

http://www.livescience.com/history/060306_desert_ships.html

[MADem]

1. Well, now, that is something!!!! n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Wow

Now maybe they'll find the legendary city of Punt. DNA evidence indicates that long before Egypt, man was able to travel to places like Australia-makes one wonder if maybe ships weren't one of the first inventions.