reed boats

Reed boats are watercraft constructed from bundled reeds, typically totora or papyrus, bound tightly together to create a buoyant vessel.

Ancient cultures around the world built them independently—Egyptians on the Nile, Peruvians on Lake Titicaca, Marsh Arabs in Iraq.

Thor Heyerdahl's Ra expeditions demonstrated their seaworthiness for ocean crossings.

Some communities still build and use them traditionally.