Archaeologica.org

There are quite a few learned people saying things like that. But I just don't know.

look for masts -

seems to me there's plenty of rock art, and other art, indicating masts.

there's only one reason to put mast on boat.

sail.

john

the oldest rock art boats that I know of those at Gobustan don't have masts
these are the ones that inspired Thor Heyerdhal
he added a mast to his vessels because he knew what one was
the people who drew the boats in Azerbaijan around 5000 years ago

Thor Heyerdhal in a cave at Gobustan

and compared to Sumerian images of boats which also have no masts

and then of course you have according to biblical texts the oldest boat in existence (Noahs) which also had no mast


officially the oldest picture of a boat on Earth is in Australia
it has a high prow indicating that it was ocean going but again no sail

so thats that question answered isn't it

Marduk, would you venture an opinion on when and where sails were invented?

theres not enough evidence to say
theres just lots of evidence of who wasn't using them
in this case an absence of evidence is an evidence of absence
the Phoenecians however became such a great power so quickly because they were one of the first groups to master sailing
so I wouldn't think it was much before then because news travels fast and everyone would be doing it.
and then theres the problem of global diffusion
there may have been many groups trying them out in the ancient past who gave up on them and never left a record
sailing isn't as easy as it looks
last time I tried it in a dinghy i couldn't get the dam thing to go where i wanted. It kept getting blown around by the wind
yes I know thats the point but if you want to head east and the wind is blowing west youre screwed unless you have amstered a thing called tacking
and I haven't


in real antiquity people used ocean currents for travel.

you can cross the pacific on one in less then six weeks if you aren't buggering it up with sails or oars