The oldest boat of the world: the Pesse dugout canoe

The Pesse dugout is a fascinating archaeological discovery that represents the oldest preserved boat in the world. Discovered in 1955 during construction work in the Netherlands, it dates from between 8200 and 7600 B.C. The dugout was carved from a pine trunk and is an impressive 298 cm long and 44 cm wide.

Originally there was scepticism about its use as a watercraft due to its relatively small size. Some experts doubted that the dugout could be seaworthy. It was even suggested that it might be a trough for food or plants from the Bronze or Iron Age. To dispel these doubts, a faithful replica of the dugout was made in 2001 and subjected to extensive testing. It turned out that the dugout was surprisingly manoeuvrable and could even sail.

Picture at Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einbaum_von_Pesse#/media/Datei:Boomstamkano_van_Pesse,_Drents_Museum,_1955-VIII-2.jpg