| Assyrian Phoenician Merchant Ship |
The original for the picture of the ship served a drawing on one of the ancient vase dated to the 8th century. The hull of the ship had a small height of boards and a bowl-shaped form. The planking was made of boards and was raised only at the bow and the stern parts of the ship. The deck, which was a flooring supported by a great number of bearings and enclosed with railings, connected the bow and the stern platforms. The low solid mast carried a large square sail strengthened by leather belts. There are no reasons to state that the mast could change its position but a free sliding of halyards along the fork-shaped top was possible. This allowed defending successfully against multiple of pirates at that time.
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