“Yes, in some ways,” Vito replied, “but the similarities in design – the raised bow and stern – were not copied from the Norsemen; the features were probably discovered independently by the seafarers in the Mediterranean and the North Sea from practical experience. Keeping the ends of the boats above the wash of the sea as they propelled forward just made sense.
“Anyway, these penteconters would be powered by up to fifty men when the air was calm. A center post would support a single crossbeam, and huge sheets of skin or woven fabric could be pulled up and over the beam, then strapped down at the deck level when the winds were favorable.”
penteconters“Were these warships?”
“I’m sure they could have been used – and probably were – when open conflict took place on the seas, but most battl
