Thread: Wood workers/Shipwrites 1500BC

I wonder how many members watched the program on SBS1 Sunday 15th July "When Egyptians Sailed On The Red Sea"? If you did not you missed a very interesting program on ancient wood working involved in the constructing of boats used by the Egyptians back some 3500 years ago.
For those that did not sea this documentary you missed a very interesting program of ancient wood work in relation to building wooden craft.
In recent times researches researching the period of the 18th dynasty of the ( female) Pharaoh Hatshpsut had come to the conclusion from the hieroglyphics that where carved on the walls of the temple at Luxor that myths of the Egyptions had during that period had ventured down the Red Sea looking for the Mystic land of Punt. They then carried out investigations at a number of sites on the banks of the Red Sea and discovered relics of ancient wooden craft and the rigging buried in the sands and caves.
From the wooden relics and relating them to the carvings on the wall of the temple they were able to prepare drawings and construct scale models of the craft that the ancient sailers would have used. They then engaged shipwrites to construct a replica craft on the banks of the Red Sea using the tools and methods that would have been used in those times.
This replica was some 20metres long by 5 metres wide and constructed with no nails or bolts.
The hull was constructed consisting of planks with each plank carved out of flitches of timber around 500 x 300mm of lengths up to 4 metres long. The keel was carved out of flitches of around 450 x 450 mm .
To obtain the shape of the hull each plank was carved using the old trusted Adz to shape and to fit the next plank both in length, width and thickness and the curve of the required profile. To join the planks they used a technique that we are now using today to join timber tops, carcases and frame work of furniture, that is the faithful biscuit. Each matching plank was mortised by hand at regular centres to take hand shaped timber biscuits. The planks were then brought together with mallets. The planks were caulked with Linen fibres and sealed with beeswax.
The rope rigging which was made to the design obtained from the details shown on the wall of the temple were made from hemp and all woven by hand using the method that would have been used in those times.
The finished replica which took some 9 months to make was eventually launched and after a period of trials and sailing on the Red Sea proved that the Egyptians did venture to the that mysitical place called " Punt" . This place it is believed was Eritrea and or Somalia.
Some 10 years ago I had the chance to go to Egypt and while there visiting the Pyramids at Giza I was able to inspect the exhibit of Cheops' Solar Boat , this craft was very similar in profile to the replica I have tried to describe. Attached I have included a copy of a article that I have in my possession which describes this craft and the construction used. In this case the planks are held together with ropes which tie them together. The planks were drilled across the width and the ropes passed vertically through into the next adjoining plank, all by hand. Where did they get those long drills?
If you are interested you may be able to get hold of the DVD of the program on SBS from Dimmock book Shop.
Cheers Malcolm Eaton