Do stormy seas lead to better boats? : Exploring the origins of the southern Californian plank canoe through ocean voyage modeling
Fauvelle, Mikael LU
and Montenegro, Alvaro
(2024)
In The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
- Abstract
- What constraints and conditions are conducive to the innovation of more advanced watercraft technology? This paper explores this question by modeling ancient voyages in the Channel Island region of southern California. The Chumash and Tongva cultures of this region invented an advanced form of boat, the sewn plank canoe, around 500 CE. This new technology led to a rapid increase in maritime travel and transformed the maritime political economy of the region. In this paper we use agent-based ocean voyage modeling to examine the capacities of a range of indigenous boat types to travel important routes in the Channel Region at different times of the year. Our results indicate that while several different boat types would have been conducive... (More)
- What constraints and conditions are conducive to the innovation of more advanced watercraft technology? This paper explores this question by modeling ancient voyages in the Channel Island region of southern California. The Chumash and Tongva cultures of this region invented an advanced form of boat, the sewn plank canoe, around 500 CE. This new technology led to a rapid increase in maritime travel and transformed the maritime political economy of the region. In this paper we use agent-based ocean voyage modeling to examine the capacities of a range of indigenous boat types to travel important routes in the Channel Region at different times of the year. Our results indicate that while several different boat types would have been conducive for voyaging from the mainland coast to adjacent islands such as Limuw (Santa Cruz) and Pimu (Catalina), voyages to outlying islands, including Tuqan (San Miguel) and especially Haraasnga (San Nicolas), would have been difficult for much of the year in dugout or reed boats. We argue that early mariners plying these routes would have been under strong pressure to innovate faster and more seaworthy craft, possibly leading to the eventual development of the sewn plank canoe. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8f301493-7fae-4399-b6dc-baefc4ac1b35
- author
- Fauvelle, Mikael
LU
and Montenegro, Alvaro
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- Hunter-gatherers, paleoclimate, seafaring, Technological innovation, watercraft technology
- in
- The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
- pages
- 21 pages
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85187864395
- ISSN
- 1556-4894
- DOI
- 10.1080/15564894.2024.2311107
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8f301493-7fae-4399-b6dc-baefc4ac1b35
- date added to LUP
- 2024-03-12 15:22:41
- date last changed
- 2024-04-03 14:10:17
@article{8f301493-7fae-4399-b6dc-baefc4ac1b35,
abstract = {{What constraints and conditions are conducive to the innovation of more advanced watercraft technology? This paper explores this question by modeling ancient voyages in the Channel Island region of southern California. The Chumash and Tongva cultures of this region invented an advanced form of boat, the sewn plank canoe, around 500 CE. This new technology led to a rapid increase in maritime travel and transformed the maritime political economy of the region. In this paper we use agent-based ocean voyage modeling to examine the capacities of a range of indigenous boat types to travel important routes in the Channel Region at different times of the year. Our results indicate that while several different boat types would have been conducive for voyaging from the mainland coast to adjacent islands such as Limuw (Santa Cruz) and Pimu (Catalina), voyages to outlying islands, including Tuqan (San Miguel) and especially Haraasnga (San Nicolas), would have been difficult for much of the year in dugout or reed boats. We argue that early mariners plying these routes would have been under strong pressure to innovate faster and more seaworthy craft, possibly leading to the eventual development of the sewn plank canoe.}},
author = {{Fauvelle, Mikael and Montenegro, Alvaro}},
issn = {{1556-4894}},
keywords = {{Hunter-gatherers; paleoclimate; seafaring; Technological innovation; watercraft technology}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology}},
title = {{Do stormy seas lead to better boats? : Exploring the origins of the southern Californian plank canoe through ocean voyage modeling}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15564894.2024.2311107}},
doi = {{10.1080/15564894.2024.2311107}},
year = {{2024}},
}