Historical woods of traditional Brazilian boats

Abstract

Wood has been historically used to build traditional boats in Brazil. The present study examined different types of wood used in the boat collection of the Museu Nacional do Mar (Portuguese for National Museum of the Sea). Samples were collected with a Pressler borer and incorporated into the JOIw xylarium. Histological and anatomical descriptions followed usual wood anatomy protocols. Wood of 15 species of low, medium, and high density was microscopically identified. Most of the species are native to forests that surround the waterways where the boats were built, although some were imported from more distant forests. We believe the wood anatomy shows the relationship between human societies and forest resources used in navel carpentry. Additionally, wood surveys like this broaden our knowledge on the cultural heritage, ethnobotanic, and technological properties knowledge, which ultimately contribute to biodiversity conservation.