This blog has featured replicas of two ancient sailing ships–the Greek trireme Olympias and the Norwegian Viking ship Dragon King Harald—however the prettiest modern replica of an ancient ship is a reconstruction of a much older vessel. The ship Min of the Desert was hand built by 4 men and 2 teenage boys in the modern Hamdi Lahma & Brothers shipyard in Rashid, Egypt (which was called Rosetta in classical times). The builders used traditional tools and original techniques to craft the Min after a sea-going Egyptian trade ship from 3500 years ago.
Archaeologists know a great deal about the boats which sailed the Nile–since they have the actual ships (which were preserved in tombs in order that Pharaohs could sail in the next world). However sea-faring ships were not preserved in the same way and only trace evidence from underwater archaeological sights survives. To build the Min, the modern shipwrights looked to river ships from tombs for technique, but they looked at ancient Egyptian art for a design. A 3,500-year-old bas relief from the pharaoh Hatshepsut ‘s funerary temple at Deir el-Bahri near Thebes, provided the basic design for the Min of the Desert.
The ships pictured on the bas relief were trade ships which participated in Hatshepsut ‘s trade expedition to Punt, which took place in the ninth year of her reign (Hatshepsut was a lady pharaoh who lived in the 15th century B.C. and reigned as the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty). From the time of the old kingdom onward, Egyptians had launched expeditions to the land of Punt, a kingdom rich in gold, frankincense, myrrh, and exotic timber. Numerous ancient Egyptian sources mention Punt (which was a trade destination for the Egyptians for over a thousand years) but none actually mention where it is—apparently everyone back then just knew. The actual location has eluded Egyptologists for 150 years. To get to Punt, ships were carried in pieces across the desert to the Red Sea port of Saww. Then the vessels sailed on the Red Sea…to where? Modern day Somalia and Arabia are the best guesses, but the issue remains in doubt.
When completed Min of the Desert measured 20 meters (66 ft) long and nearly 5 meters (16 ft) wide with a cargo capacity of about 17 tons. Held together entirely by mortise-and-tenon joints, the ship proved to be surprisingly seaworthy and fast. Sailors rowed the Min in to position to raise the sail (a labor which required substantial physical strength) and then traveled along at speeds between 5 and 9 knots. The ship handled 25 knot winds and 3 meter swells with ease. The modern sailors were surprised by the excellence of the 3500 year old ship.
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May 18, 2012 at 10:04 AM
theviolethourmusings
What about a pic of your cardboard + paper viking war ship from June 2011?
May 18, 2012 at 12:23 PM
Wayne
I’m glad you asked! I was planning on a second post about my toy-making book to coincide with its release (with new photos and everything), but so far the book hasn’t been released…I guess they’re having some sort of sourcing/printing troubles. Sigh.
I was sort of thinking of crafting a Venetian war galley or a Byzantine dromon for my own sick pleasure, but I have been too busy with other projects to do it properly.
May 18, 2012 at 12:50 PM
theviolethourmusings
Don’t worry! The book will be ‘birthed’ when it’s ready.
How about a Roman Trireme….with little galley rowers….’ramming speed…water-skiing speed…… 🙂
January 16, 2016 at 1:43 PM
Eric
What ever happens to these re-creations of vintage boats Kontiki Min of the desert etc.?
March 5, 2021 at 2:59 PM
Daniel Paxton
Where is the “Min of the Desert” now? Is it on display somewhere?
March 17, 2021 at 9:39 PM
Wayne
A very cursory Google search suggested it might be on display at the National Museum of Suez, however whenever I tried to get more up-to-date information, I kept getting ads about why I should not buy stock in Carnival Cruise Line (I believe this to be wholesome advise…and yet what does it have to do with this replica of an ancient ship?).