A river boat, of the Naquada II period, many-oared and equipped with two deck-houses - boldly drawn in purple pigment on a buff ground, crescent shaped vessels with high curved ends, banner poles, innumerable oars, and deck houses. Probably these were papyrus ships - rafts rather - built of a construction of reeds tapering at either end. Subsidiary sections, shaped like the moon in eclipse, were bonded into the central area. Egyptian Prehistory 4500-3100 BCE The ship petroglyphs of the Egyptian Eastern desert The earliest historic record of seafaring ships that can be found seem to be the Neolithic petroglyphs or rock art that are found in the Egyptian eastern desert. Many of these patterns have been dated to the Naqada period of Egyptian history which covers approximately the period of 4500-3100 BCE. Modern research is currently being done to obtain datable materials found in conjunction with the petroglyphs to more firmly establish the dating of when the images were made.