Bipod mast
Encyclopedia
The bipod mast is a two-legged mast used originally in Egypt
during the 3rd millennium BCE
. It can be described as two poles secured together at the top, forming a thin isosceles triangle
. It did not appear until the Old Kingdom
, third dynasty, and disappeared after the sixth dynasty when the pole mast took over during the Middle Kingdom
.
The reason that the bipod mast was used for only a short time is also the reason that it developed in the first place. At the time reed boat
s were being used to carry goods up and down the Nile. A mast and sail were wanted to make these journeys go more quickly through wind power
. The problem was that a pole mast would have to be secured or stepped in the center of the craft, at its weakest point. This would have caused the bottom of the boat to rupture. Because reed materials were not strong enough to support a single pole, the bipod was developed to better distribute the weight. The bipod mast continued to be used even when builders begun using wood to construct boats. It was used both along the Nile and once actual seafaring began. When it was reed materials being used the bipod mast was secured through backstays. Once the builders switched over to wood the two rods were tied to the wood continued to be secured with cables. These bipod masts could easily be stored by folding one side into the other laying it across the ship with its weight evenly distributed on stands also called forked crutches. Thus, the bipod masts were convenient for travel along the Nile. The Nile
is easy to travel when heading north, with the current, but when heading south, sailors must use man power and wind power against the current. For this reason the development of the bipod mast was very important. The bipod mast allowed for faster travel south. It is likely that this improved trade because Egyptians did not waste as much time traveling south. Also, the development of the mast was part of the transition into seafaring. In voyaging across the sea a mast and sail are required. So, be conclusion the bipod mast played a major part in ushering in overseas trade.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
during the 3rd millennium BCE
3rd millennium BC
The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age.It represents a period of time in which imperialism, or the desire to conquer, grew to prominence, in the city states of the Middle East, but also throughout Eurasia, with Indo-European expansion to Anatolia, Europe and Central Asia. The...
. It can be described as two poles secured together at the top, forming a thin isosceles triangle
Triangle
A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are line segments. A triangle with vertices A, B, and C is denoted ....
. It did not appear until the Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
, third dynasty, and disappeared after the sixth dynasty when the pole mast took over during the Middle Kingdom
Middle Kingdom of Egypt
The Middle Kingdom of Egypt is the period in the history of ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty, between 2055 BC and 1650 BC, although some writers include the Thirteenth and Fourteenth dynasties in the Second Intermediate...
.
The reason that the bipod mast was used for only a short time is also the reason that it developed in the first place. At the time reed boat
Reed boat
Reed boats and rafts, along with dugout canoes and other rafts, are among the oldest known types of boats. Often used as traditional fishing boats, they are still used in a few places around the world, though they have generally been replaced with planked boats. Reed boats can be distinguished from...
s were being used to carry goods up and down the Nile. A mast and sail were wanted to make these journeys go more quickly through wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
. The problem was that a pole mast would have to be secured or stepped in the center of the craft, at its weakest point. This would have caused the bottom of the boat to rupture. Because reed materials were not strong enough to support a single pole, the bipod was developed to better distribute the weight. The bipod mast continued to be used even when builders begun using wood to construct boats. It was used both along the Nile and once actual seafaring began. When it was reed materials being used the bipod mast was secured through backstays. Once the builders switched over to wood the two rods were tied to the wood continued to be secured with cables. These bipod masts could easily be stored by folding one side into the other laying it across the ship with its weight evenly distributed on stands also called forked crutches. Thus, the bipod masts were convenient for travel along the Nile. The Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
is easy to travel when heading north, with the current, but when heading south, sailors must use man power and wind power against the current. For this reason the development of the bipod mast was very important. The bipod mast allowed for faster travel south. It is likely that this improved trade because Egyptians did not waste as much time traveling south. Also, the development of the mast was part of the transition into seafaring. In voyaging across the sea a mast and sail are required. So, be conclusion the bipod mast played a major part in ushering in overseas trade.