You can tell a lot about a civilization from the way it built its boats.
An analysis of five canoes constructed over 7,000 years ago, found at the bottom of Lake Bracciono near Rome, highlights techniques that indicate a well-organized society with specialists. Some details also hint that residents of the Neolithic lakeshore village of La Marmotta possessed navigation skills, according to a report in PLOS ONE.
Niccolò Mazzucco, an archaeologist from the University of Pisa, studied the boats. “These societies were far from rudimentary but possessed a technical complexity and level of thought comparable to our own,” said Mazzucco in an email interview.
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Several elements transformed these boats beyond rudimentary dugouts, Mazzucco added. They were constructed with multiple types of wood, reinforced in key places, and featured adaptations that might have allowed for sails or outriggers.
Although ...
