Ancient war ships and Ancient merchant ships essays

Ancient war ships and Ancient merchant ships essays Before there were ships, man had been using boats for many centuries before them. The earliest ships date from about before 3000 B.C. Ancient warships and ancient merchant vessels were made quite differently. Their basic structure, shape and method of propulsion were different. The reason for theyre being that way was that they served different purposes. Warships were clearly constructed mainly for raiding or defending their territory. Merchant ships on the other hand were made for transporting cargo. The ships were made using various shapes and sizes .Yet some materials remained the same, like hulls were always made of linen. With time, the purpose of the ship changed its physical appearance and its method of propulsion. Ancient warships and ancient merchant vessels slowly evolved over time, though in completely different directions. Merchant ships were developed differently than warships because they had to be cost effective and be able to stay at sea for long durations of time. They of course were bigger because more room was needed for storing cargo. The ships transported grain, olive oil, pottery, wine, and luxury items such as silk and spices. These were all important trading goods. The ships usually traveled at a very low speed of two miles per hour. The ships were slow because they had to rely on the wind for movement since they used sails and not oars. Sails have been from around 3000 B.C. Some problems occurred for ancient explorers if they had a ship limited to just sails, like when they were in a situation with no wind or needed rowing power. But it did work out a lot cheaper that way since there was no cost for men to row the oars. Still the plus point was that the ships were able to travel relatively long distances. Warships were generally long and narrow vessels. This shape was more practical for its purpose. These ships mostly did not use sails but used oars instead. Oars became common only after 3...