The nautical dimension of prehistory has not so far received the attention it deserves. It is also too often assumed that early man was land bound, yet this is demonstrably not the case. Recent research has shown that man travelled and tracked over greater distances and at a much earlier date than has previously been thought possible. Some of these facts can be explained only by man's mastery of water transport from earliest times. This book, by an acknowledged expert on prehistoric sea-craft, examines these problems looking at the new archaeological information in the light of the author's nautical knowledge. The result is a detailed account of man's use of inland and ocean-going craft from earliest times until the dawn of recorded history. All forms of evidence are critically assessed, from the vessels of Ancient Egypt to the Chinese junk, to present of comprehensive picture of the vessels men have built through the ages, and of the variety of ways in which they have been used.

This book sets new standards for the documentation of water transport, and introduces styles of boat-building which are unlikely to be found outside the sub-Continent. A fascinating and accessible read for anyone interested in boats or the South Asian way of life, as well as ethnographers, maritime archaeologists and historians, Boats of South Asia covers recent, exhaustive fieldwork in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka; and covers a vast array of traditional boats used in the sub-Continent today for fishing and other coastal, riverine tasks.

At last a paperback edition of this standard work on marine archaeology. Sean McGrail's study received exceptional critical acclaim when it was first published in hardback in 1987 and it is now revised and published in paperback for the first time. Professor McGrail provides an authoritative survey of water transport across Northern Europe from the Late Palaeolithic to the later Middle Ages, using evidence of excavations, but also documentary sources, iconographic and ethnographic evidence. In the process he answers such key questions as How were these boats built? What sort of environment were they used in? What speeds could they achieve? and how were they navigated?

At last a paperback edition of this standard work on marine archaeology. Sean McGrail's study received exceptional critical acclaim when it was first published in hardback in 1987 and it is now revised and published in paperback for the first time. Professor McGrail provides an authoritative survey of water transport across Northern Europe from the Late Palaeolithic to the later Middle Ages, using evidence of excavations, but also documentary sources, iconographic and ethnographic evidence. In the process he answers such key questions as How were these boats built? What sort of environment were they used in? What speeds could they achieve? and how were they navigated?

The nautical dimension of prehistory has not so far received the attention it deserves. It is also too often assumed that early man was land bound, yet this is demonstrably not the case. Recent research has shown that man travelled and tracked over greater distances and at a much earlier date than has previously been thought possible. Some of these facts can be explained only by man's mastery of water transport from earliest times. This book, by an acknowledged expert on prehistoric sea-craft, examines these problems looking at the new archaeological information in the light of the author's nautical knowledge. The result is a detailed account of man's use of inland and ocean-going craft from earliest times until the dawn of recorded history. All forms of evidence are critically assessed, from the vessels of Ancient Egypt to the Chinese junk, to present of comprehensive picture of the vessels men have built through the ages, and of the variety of ways in which they have been used.

Early Ships and Seafaring: Water Transport Within Europe builds on Professor Sen McGrails 2006 volume Ancient Boats and Ships by delving deeper into the construction and use of boats and ships between the stone age and AD1500 in order to provide up to date information. Regions covered will include the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe. This interesting volume is easily accessible to those with little or no knowledge of the building and uses of boats, whether ancient or modern.Sen McGrail introduces the reader to this relatively new discipline through the theory and techniques used in the study of early boats as well as the many different types of evidence available to us, including archaeological, documentary, iconographic, experimental and ethnographic, and the natural, physical laws.

Maritime archaeology, the study of man's early encounter with the rivers and seas of the world, only came to the fore in the last decades of the twentieth century, long after its parent discipline, terrestrial archaeology, had been established. Yet there were seamen long before there were farmers, navigators before there were potters, and boatbuilders before there were wainwrights. In this book Professor McGrail attempts to correct some of the imbalance in our knowledge of the past by presenting the evidence for the building and use of early water transport: rafts, boats, and ships.

This is the first comprehensive study of the archaeology of rafts, boats, and ships from the Stone Age to Medieval times. All the regions of the world are covered, from Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, the China Sea, and the Pacific.

Archaeological and Ethnographic papers based on those presented to a conference at Greenwich in November, 1984. (National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Archaeological Series No 10, BAR S276, 1985)