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A reproduction of a type of Bronze Age vessel known as a ‘Magan Boat’ has just completed its maiden voyage off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
The ‘Magan Boat’ is named after an ancient region in present-day Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Such ships played a key role c.4,000 years ago in the area’s thriving maritime trade networks, which stretched as far as Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.
Work on the replica boat started in 2021 as part of a project led by the planned Zayed National Museum in partnership with Zayed University and NYU Abu Dhabi. An international team of researchers carried out hundreds of experiments during its construction, using traditional techniques dating back to 2100 BC and raw materials based on a list for building ‘the boats of Magan’ recorded in Sumerian on a clay tablet found at Tello (ancient Girsu) in Iraq.
The finished vessel measures 18m long and has a capacity of 36 tonnes. The outer hull of the ship was made of 72 bundles of reeds, tied using rope made of date-palm fibre. These were then lashed to wooden frames and coated in bitumen, an ancient waterproofing technique. The sail, made of goat’s hair, weighs 127kg. Once completed, the boat was subjected to two days of sea trials in the Arabian Gulf. A crew of more than 20 people was required to lift the sail and rigging, as pulleys were not in use in the Bronze Age. The replica ship covered a total of 50 nautical miles (92.6km) and reached speeds of 5.6 knots.
This impressive feat of experimental archaeology has offered valuable new insights into the materials and techniques used to construct Magan Boats, and the Bronze Age people who built and sailed these revolutionary craft. The replica boat will be placed on display in the new Zayed National Museum when it opens.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Image: Emily Harris © Zayed National Museum
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