Timing of the First Mesopotamian Boat Unearthed in a Euphrates Paleochannel near Uruk (Iraq)

The ancient city of Uruk, located in the Mesopotamian floodplain, represents a key site for understanding the interplay between urban development and waterways in early civilizations. This study investigates the unique archaeological discovery of the first completely preserved Mesopotamian boat, unearthed in 2022 from a paleochannel of the Euphrates River near Uruk (Iraq). The excavation revealed that the boat was embedded in sand layers, surrounded by fine-grained floodplain sediments that are rich in artifacts and faunal remains. While the ¹⁴C dating of the boat was impeded by bitumen contamination, the fluvial sediments, bone fragments and ceramic artefacts provide sufficient evidence to establish the chronology of this discovery and link it to its paleoenvironmental context.

We applied optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to fluvial sediments surrounding the boat and cross-verified the results using radiocarbon (¹⁴C) analysis of associated bones. Additionally, ceramic fragments provided significant insights into the archaeological timeline.

The OSL-dated sediments from within the boat, yielding an age estimate of 3.6 ± 0.6 ka BP, correspond closely with ¹⁴C ages and the site's archaeological context, spanning the Ur III period (2100–2000 BCE) to the Isin-Larsa period (2000–1800 BCE).

This research highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary approach for establishing the chronology of a remarkable archaeological artifact. The findings provide valuable insights into the utilization of Uruk's waterways, the evolution of its floodplain, and the broader processes that shaped early urbanization in Mesopotamia.