Megalithic shipping and trade routes

[macausland]

Perhaps large leather bags were made and filled with stones or concrete. These could be sunk at the required point. The operation repeated until a substantial foundation has been established.

Something similar was done in Spain for the Arsenal of Cartegena.

In this link the authors discuss the various techniques for building underwater foundations. The principle technique was to use wooden boats filled with stones and sunk. Again this is repeated until a surface has been established for building on.

http://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/ich ... nalver.pdf

[Mick Harper]

(perhaps rightly since leather rots in water)

I wonder if this is true. After all, animal skins have evolved over zillions of years to keep water out, and some animals spend enough time in water and/or damp conditions to have their leather rot. Plus, presumably Dutch engineers have had zillions of years to evolve methods of rot-proofing leather.

[spiral]

Perhaps large leather bags were made and filled with stones or concrete. These could be sunk at the required point. The operation repeated until a substantial foundation has been established.

Something similar was done in Spain for the Arsenal of Cartegena.

In this link the authors discuss the various techniques for building underwater foundations. The principle technique was to use wooden boats filled with stones and sunk. Again this is repeated until a surface has been established for building on.

http://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/ich ... nalver.pdf

Aha that is how you build a quick megalithic causeway. Maybe the development of boats comes from the lost art of bridge (rivers) and causeway building (sea). Your prototype boats were designed to be floated and sunk, but then folks realized you could use these bridges for fishing and travelling etc and the sinking did not need to take place. The control part of a ship is after all the "Bridge". It's a survival of the time boats were designed to act as bridges. (?)

[Mick Harper]

Your prototype boats were designed to be floated and sunk

Then perhaps leather skins were employed precisely because they do rot. After all, it's a tricky technical matter both floating something out and letting it sink. Can't work out the details though. Nice point about the bridge. What's the official etymology?

[macausland]

The official etymology as written by a Mr Harper (Douglas) is that bridge and related words means a 'causeway over a ravine or river. It also means a log or a beam, no doubt the original building material for bridge building. It also appears to have a connection with 'bury' and from that to 'burgh' etc.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bridge

As for leather rotting in water, would it? If there is an anaerobic environment it should remain stable. Apparently marine archaeologists are finding very old material from the bottom of the Black sea for this reason.

The 'Archaeology Wordsmith' has this to say about anaerobic conditions

'DEFINITION: Without air; the opposite of aerobic. This term is used to describe environmental conditions where oxygen is not present and where decay of organic material is partially or completely stopped. Anaerobic conditions are usually waterlogged but may also occur when a layer or clay, plant, or animal remains is sealed. The remains survive much better than under normal conditions because there is insufficient oxygen for bacterial or fungal growth. The organic materials reach a state of equilibrium beyond which they do not decay.'

http://www.archaeologywordsmith.com/loo ... =anaerobic

Leather was once boiled in oil to harden it for making armour. So it's pretty tough stuff as Charlie Chaplin found out if I remember rightly.

[hvered]

Leather was once boiled in oil to harden it for making armour.

The cuirass, or breastplate, was made of leather, cuir = leather in French [presumably from the English 'cure' though curé means priest so back to churches... ships of God?]

Tanners use salt, in solution or as is, to cure leather, as a preliminary. The salt in sea water would perhaps act similarly to preserve the hide, a sort of mummification process?

[macausland]

Cuire or faire cuir also means to cook.

Most of my cooking tastes like leather so I must be following the French tradition.

Wiki has more to say about the hardening of leather

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiled_leather

[hvered]

Most of my cooking tastes like leather so I must be following the French tradition.

Unlike the English tradition of boiling everything down to mush. Nutritionists emphasise the connection between cure and (over)cooking, chicken being the most recent case.

[macausland]

I thought chicken had to be cooked to death for three days to be on the safe side?

As it happens I have cured half a dozen herring in salt and they are now in a lovely combination of vinegar and chopped onions, ginger and dill. Very nutritious and keeps wild dogs at bay when out walking.

[Boreades]

Is that a traditional Norwegian recipe?