River boats and deep-sea vessels: Types and functions

Abstract

Cargo vessels fall into three categories: (1) the river type which carried goods on inland waters; (2) coastal boats that sailed on river and along the sea; and (3) the sea-going vessels which anchored at harbours or at some distance from the port, in which case their merchandise and passengers had to be ferried on small boats. In principle an ocean-going vessel did not proceed to the river and a river boat would not venture into the sea, though some vessels must have been built to cope with both sea and river navigation. Although most of the trading vessels were passenger and/or pilgrim vessels, knowledge about them as to which sailed the rivers and seas in the Early and Middle Medieval Islamic period is scanty. This chapter provides the historical context of the watercraft used in the classical and medieval periods, and the origins of their nomenclature.Keywords: cargo vessels; coastal boats; Medieval Islamic period; river boats; sea-going vessels