Sailing 8,000 Years Ago: Reed Boat Reconstruction on the Carmel Coast
Researchers from the University of Haifa have reconstructed an ancient vessel to understand how the inhabitants of Neolithic Carmel coast settlements, now submerged, navigated the sea.
What did the vessels used by the inhabitants of the Carmel coast about 8,000 years ago look like? To answer this, researchers from the University of Haifa built a four-meter-long reed boat, utilizing technology and materials available to Neolithic man. The boat was recently launched at Neve Yam beach, directly in front of the remains of a settlement from the same period, which is now submerged below sea level.
Over the last 40 years, dozens of Neolithic (New Stone Age) settlement sites, dating between 10,000 and 7,000 years ago, have been discovered along the Carmel coast, from Haifa to Ma'agan Michael. These sites, discovered and studied by Professor Ehud Galili of the University of Haifa, currently lie at depths of 2 to 12 meters below sea level, having been flooded by rising sea levels since the end of the last Ice Age.
Professor David Friesem from the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa is leading an international study, funded by the European Union, aimed at examining how ancient Carmel coast inhabitants adapted to their environment and climate change.
"Fish hooks, fishing net weights, and fish bones were found at the sites," says Professor Friesem. "We know that people in the Neolithic eastern Mediterranean sailed the deep sea and utilized marine resources. Some even reached Cyprus, introducing plants and animals from the mainland. However, to date, no remains of actual vessels from this period have been discovered in the entire eastern Mediterranean region."
To understand how they sailed, Shay Niv, a master's student in the Department of Maritime Civilizations, conducted an experimental study focused on building a vessel using period-appropriate technology. Niv examined evidence of ancient vessels from the Old World, ranging from literary descriptions and reliefs to clay models found in excavations. By reconstructing the ancient landscape and comparing it with ethnographic evidence from traditional societies in similar environments, the team concluded that a reed boat was the most likely vessel used.
Initially, a small-scale model was built under the guidance of Professor Debbie Cvikel, head of the Department of Maritime Civilizations and an expert on ancient shipwrecks.
"Before investing resources into a full-sized vessel, it was important to test buoyancy and sailing ability," explains Professor Cvikel. "This was crucial given the uncertainty regarding the use of sails during that period. Once the small-scale model proved the concept, we proceeded to build the four-meter reed boat."
Approximately 1,600 reeds were harvested, dried, and cleaned. They were then tied into bundles in a crisscross pattern and stretched diagonally to create a stable, buoyant structure. The final sea trial at Neve Yam beach was a success, with the boat maintaining stability while carrying the student and his equipment.
"The success of the experiment doesn't prove that this is exactly what Neolithic vessels looked like, but it shows that a reed boat represents an optimal use of coastal natural resources," concludes Professor Friesem. "The study adds a new layer to our understanding of how the inhabitants of the Carmel coast adapted to their environment thousands of years ago."
