Ancient Mediterranean Shipyards and Harbours

Ancient shipyards and harbours in the Mediterranean from the Mesolithic until about 400 AD.

Since no remains of any boats dating to the early part of the Mesolithic have been discovered we have to surmise that they were either fire hollowed dugout canoes, reed boats or skin and frame construction, all feasible with the technology of the time. Such boats would have been constructed as and when needed in sheltered bays. Maintenance would have also been carried out at disparate locations as required.

As ships became more sophisticated and standardised, special facilities, shipyards, were needed. The early shipyards may have been no more than slipways, but they were locations where materials could be amassed, skilled artisans could build ships, launch them, and, when necessary, draw them from the water in order to repair them.

In parallel with ancient shipyards, as trade increased throughout the Mediterranean, so too did the need for sheltered docking and cargo handling facilities, in other words ports and harbours.

Although not strictly in the Mediterranean, the oldest shipyards and harbours in the world are to be found on the shores of the Red Sea. The Egyptians had such a huge influence on maritime engineering and ship design in the Mediterranean theatre that it would be remiss to omit these foundational sites.