The First Mariners Projects showed how Homo Erectus could have reached Flores in the Indonesian Archipelago 800,000 years ago by boat. They also demonstrated how the aborigines could have sailed to Australia 50,000 years ago.
Human migration out of Africa
Whilst many nations know their origins, The Maldives, without doubt is a result of shipwrecks. The unforgiving climatic conditions of the tiny island nation have not allowed for much preservation of its history. However the evolution of her most essential tool… the boat gives us the opportunity to peer into the ancient past of this unique archipelago.
The many great nations neighboring the Maldives developed their boats from the very basics. As such dugout canoes, bamboo rafts and planked narrow boats were built but almost always with outriggers. Even today, though evolved, such designs are evident in those waters. Ancient India and Sri Lanka did not traditionally have strong maritime traditions and therefore their boats did not advance sufficiently for ocean journeys.
Maldives is not known to have used these ancient designs with outriggers. Shipwrecks of highly advanced mariners have led to the beginnings to be from advanced boat designs which occurred with the “Metal Age” around 3000 BCE. Metal tools allowed the transformation of coconut trees into planks making possible the construction of relatively large and highly seaworthy boats – the ‘Dhoni’. The strong seafaring characteristics of the “Dhoni” design was also a necessity for safe passage across the many channels of the Maldives frequently ravaged by heavy seas.
It is no surprise that the majority of ancient shipwrecks were from Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Indus Valley traders who were at the time the most acclaimed mariners in the world.
The planking techniques, hull girth and design so familiar in Maldives are seen even today where the most innovative boat designers once dwelled. These techniques can be seen as far away as Oman and all the way to the Malay peninsula.
The “Dhoni” began her life with Square Rigs thatched from Screw Pine leaves. The triangular sail, which evolved at some stage was cutting edge allowing the “Dhoni” and her bigger long voyage cousin the “Batheli” to sail against the wind for the very first time. Unlike with many of our neighbours, it is also noteworthy that the need to cover long distances as well as aesthetics have always played major roles in Maldivian boat design and its evolution.