When exactly humans took to the water in boats is unclear. Long considered a practice exclusive to our own species – Homo sapiens – researchers are gathering evidence that our early ancestors may have crafted and sailed boats thousands of years ago. But this theory remains contentious.
What Is the Oldest Boat Ever Found?
The world’s oldest boat dates back around 10,000 years. Discovered in 1955 in the Netherlands, the dugout canoe – known as the Pesse canoe – was crafted by axe from a Scot’s pine. Stretching back further in time, the first established boat travel is argued to be around 50,000 years ago, when Homo sapiens set forth from the mainland of Asia to colonize places such as New Guinea and Australia.
