EVOLUTION OF NAUTICAL AND SAILING KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNIQUES IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2020-10-13

The 4th millennium BC in the Near East was a period of rapid evolution in coastal navigation, as clearly shown by the archaeological evidence, artistic representations and artefacts. In particular, the initial urbanization process occurring in the communities located along the eastern fringe of the Mediterranean Sea allowed the evolution of a long-distance sea trade and the increase of contacts between different cultures. This paper will aim to analyse the historical and archaeological data related to the evolution of sailing and nautical knowledge and techniques in the Near East, trying to delineate the role of the Levantine communities in the Mediterranean Basin. Between the 4th and the 2nd millennia BC, in fact, connections between the eastern, central and western Mediterranean communities increased, bearing not only technologies but also beliefs and ideologies, changing the way of thinking about the Mediterranean Sea, which was no longer the end of the known world, but the main and most important way to share natural resources and goods. Moreover, the evolution of the craft for sea-going navigation during the Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age periods will be presented to understand their effect on the Mediterranean cultural relationships and their role concerning the spread of urbanization.

Author(s): Polcaro, Andrea (Perugia University)