The oldest representations of boats known today come from Egypt. They include pictures of the boatlike papyrus raft, a mode of transportation that has survived into modern times. Today these rafts, paddled by hands and feet, can be seen on the Nile River as well as the bay of Lake Chad in Africa.

In the valley of Deir el-Bahri, Egypt, is a temple containing an interesting row of reliefs. They represent an expedition of Queen Hatshepsut that took place perhaps in 1500 B.C.E. The relief depicts a ship carrying two huge obelisks. One of these obelisks has been found and, judging from its height and weight, a ship capable of carrying two of these must have been about 200 feet (60 meters) in length and 80 feet (24 meters) across at its greatest breadth. Unloaded, such a ship would weigh 800 tons and, with a full load, 1,500 tons! This would make it the most remarkable vessel ever built in Egypt.