Dugouts 8000 Years, 7000 Miles Apart

There's really no connection between these two stories, aside from the fact that they're both about dugouts.

Chinese Dugout, 8000 BP

First, we have one of the oldest dugout canoes ever discovered, at Kuahuqiao in south China. Dated to 8000 years BP (before present), it's firmly in the Neolithic period, coeval with the early domestication of animals and the earliest instances of agriculture. While far from complete, the canoe and related artifacts present intriguing glimpses into this extremely early example of timber boatbuilding.

Construction of the pine hull was probably done with a combination of stone adzes, which were found at the site, and fire, examples of charring being detected on the hull. Also found was piece of woven matting attached to frame of light timbers -- very likely a square sail and spars. It has been suggested that smaller timbers found near the hull might have been part of an outrigger assembly, but the upper parts of the hull, where outrigger booms would have been attached, are missing. So what was probably a sailing canoe might or might not have been supported by an outrigger.

Three paddles were found in the assemblage, two of them apparently unused and placed carefully beside the canoe. This would appear to be in keeping with the notion of a ritual interment, but the absence of other ritual items beside the hull makes this notion difficult to support.

Among remains of several game species at the site were those of dolphin, probably indicative that the people who built the canoe used it to hunt at sea.

Finland Dugout, 1936

Here's a great video with much to teach about expanded-and-extended dugout construction in the modern era. The canoes were used to gather marsh grass, presumably for fodder.

Items to notice:

• Primary tools: axe, adze, hand-plane (often used by two men at once)
• When hewing the sides, the workers tap them to test for thickness, apparently relying on the sound or feel of the wood as it's struck.
• The interior of the hull is tarred, and the ends are bound with withies, before the process of expanding (spreading) the hull begins.
• The hull is heated first over an open flame, then hot rocks are piled inside. The exterior is swabbed down with a mop, probably to prevent charring on the exterior, and also to prevent splitting.
• At least nine frames are hewed partially to shape, then fitted to the hull, with some adjustment to the frames and some additional spreading of the hull.
• The outer edge of the sheer is tarred, then caulking is stuck to it before the additional strake is added.
• The top strake is mostly cut to shape, then bent on apparently cold, its shape being adjusted as needed.
• When being paddled solo, the paddler sits in the bottom far in the stern, using a double-bladed paddle. The bow rises high out of the water.
• One man would manage the canoe while another walked through the marsh gathering the grass. Note the latter's use of something very much like snowshoes to prevent sinking into the muddy bottom.
• With the canoe weighted with a huge load of wet grass, paddling gives way to poling.

Related Posts:

Tweet