Comet Theory Boosted

[Beagle]

But the scenario is of course a familiar one

All too familiar.

[Forum Monk]

But the scenario is of course a familiar one. The same, in varying degrees of intensity, happened at the 65Myo BP dino extinction event, or the Toba eruption 75Kyo BP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba), which deposited 6 meters (20 feet) of ash that possibly cover HE and his boats, caught by the eruption during their odyssey to Oz... (like Pompeii and Herculaneum).

There's always a chance R/S.
This was posted on GHMB a few days back, and no one here seemed to pick it up.

http://thecrit.com/2008/05/06/45-foot-a ... -the-muck/

A 45-foot canoe, buried for more than a thousand years and used by a long-dead culture of Native Americans, worked its way to the surface, and now authorities are trying to figure out how best to preserve it.

The vessel is carved out of a single pine tree, and archaeologists say it was used to paddle over the open waters of the bay

[Rokcet Scientist]

Unfortunately a thousand others are torn to bits by draglines every year, FM.
We need to develop far more sensitive ground radar systems to deep scan sedimentary areas, at superhigh resolutions of course, long before the developers even get near them. I call it AMRI: Archaeological Magnetic Resonance Imaging. But you may replace 'Magnetic' in there with isotopic or seismic, or whatever. I'm not picky. Whatever technology it takes to get the job done. A 21st century archaeological divining rod, if you will.
Any progress on that front anybody is aware of?

OTOH, the advent of Google Earth seems to have sparked armchair archaeologists across the globe – so that's us, basically – into identifying an explosion of potentially very interesting sites that need to be researched, spade in hand. But there ain't nearly enough budget to actually do even 1 in a thousand of those "Akrotiri's". And the list keeps growing.

[Cognito]

I call it AMRI: Archaeological Magnetic Resonance Imaging. But you may replace 'Magnetic' in there with isotopic or seismic, or whatever. I'm not picky. Whatever technology it takes to get the job done. A 21st century archaeological diving rod, if you will.
Any progress on that front anybody is aware of?

R/S, there is a company out there that has the ability to magnetically scan through a kilometer of anything (Magneto-Inductive Systems Limited), including dirt, rock, steel-reinforced buildings and water. Currently, the technology is being used to send magetic switching signals to turn things on or off -- such as firing mechanisms on JDAM bunker busters once they have penetrated the bunker (it's called "Cold Strike"). When the techology is linked to a RF transmitter, it is possible to bounce the signal off a satellite and ignite the bomb(s) from anywhere in the world (i.e. Pentagon). I am not certain what magnetic signal a wood boat would provide under mud, but I am aware that they have not considered this type of application. It would certainly lend itself to marine archaeological grant funding.

[kbs2244]

45 feet is big enough for more that paddling across Tama bay.
That is an ocean going vessel.

[Cognito]

From the article:

The dugout is the first pre-Columbian seagoing vessel uncovered in Florida. It points to a culture that thrived in what would become the Tampa Bay area and traded with others along the Gulf of Mexico coast and beyond. The influence of the Weedon Island culture stretched to places as far away as Georgia, archaeologists say.

Seagoing for sure, but not a great design unless a few midgets are along for the ride to bail like crazy in case of choppy water. Then again, maybe it was put together something like this:

[Ishtar]

Wow! What is that, Cogs? What does it do?

[rich]

Might not be so far fetched, Cogs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPksbhef5Gc

http://www.janeresture.com/voyaging/main.htm

http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_voyaging/index.htm

[Cognito]

Wow! What is that, Cogs? What does it do?

Ish, Rich answered that question. A large wooden boat, such as the Tampa Bay 45 foot log boat, is not very stable in the water. But bridging two of those boats (i.e. pontoons) with a platform creates something that is incredibly seaworthy.

[Minimalist]

Right on.

How much of a jump is it from this:




to this?

[Rokcet Scientist]

How much?
I'd say about a century, max.

[kbs2244]

There were central hull with double outrigger designs also.
This one went from a beach build site in Indonesia, around the Cape to Nigeria.

www.borobudurshipexpedition.com

There is some evidance of regular trade/raids by Indonsian "Vikings" on
the east cost of Africa.
These were direct trips across the Indian Ocian.
Not costal beach hopping.

[kbs2244]

BTW.
Note the mast design.
Does it remind anybody of reed boats?

[Rokcet Scientist]

BTW.
Note the mast design.
Does it remind anybody of reed boats?

Not really.
But maybe I'm missing something.
Can you expand on it, kb?

[Digit]

Does it remind anybody of reed boats?

Why not? There is only one best solution to a given problem.
The big mystery to me about European ships at least is why the Hell they stuck for so long with hauling sails upwards when most people had realised that it was easier, and required a lot less manpower, to simply lower the yard.