This volume takes the development of the most primitive forms of boats - rafts, skin boats and dugouts, for example - which developed ultimately into ships for trade, commerce and war. It summarizes the current state of knowledge, and examines the nature of archaeological evidence. The earliest forms of water transport are to be discovered into the more complex plank boats of the Bronze Age, both in Northern Europe and in the Mediterranean. The recently discovered Dover Boat, for instance, represents a tradition of strong, seagoing vessels of some 60 feet in length. The later Celtic and Viking developments are covered, and the non-European traditions - essentially in Arabia and China up to the 16th century - are also described. In addition to this developmental history, subsidiary chapters analyze such related subjects as early pilotage, navigation and exploration, warfare and trade, and performance and sea-keeping. Incorporating the latest research, this book is a comprehensive introduction to the ships at the dawn of seafaring.