Ancient ships

thumb|upright=1.35|Colourised engraving of a French galley (27 pairs of oars) built according to the design that was standard in the Mediterranean from the early 17th century; Henri Sbonski de Passebon, 1690|alt=A two-masted ship with several sails set A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for warfare, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during antiquity and continued to exist in various forms until the early 19th century. It typically had a long, slender hull, shallow draft, and

thumb|Fleet of triremes made up of photographs of the modern full-sized replica Olympias (trireme)|Olympias A trireme ( ; ; cf. ) was an ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans.

Intact vessel from Ancient Egypt

A liburna was a type of small galley used for raiding and patrols. Originally utilized by the Liburnians, a pirate tribe from Dalmatia, it later became a staple of the Roman navy.

large canoe type vessel dated to 350 found in Hjortspring Mose at Als, Denmark

ancient Egyptian type of ship

thumb|Model of a Somali beden