The bipod mast is a two-legged mast used originally in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

during the 3rd millennium BCE. It can be described as two poles secured together at the top, forming a thin

isosceles triangle In geometry, an isosceles triangle () is a triangle that has two Edge (geometry), sides of equal length and two angles of equal measure. Sometimes it is specified as having ''exactly'' two sides of equal length, and sometimes as having ''at le ...

. It did not appear until the

Old Kingdom In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning –2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth Dynast ...

, 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 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 wit ...

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 is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...

. 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, in conclusion the bipod mast played a major part in ushering in overseas trade.

References

Casson, Lionel. 1971. ''Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World.''

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial ...

. Hornell, James. 1970. ''Water transport: origins and early evolution.'' Newton Abbot, David & Charles. Johnstone, Paul. 1989. ''The Sea-Craft of Prehistory. Routledge.'' Jones, Dilwyn. 1995.'' Boats.''

University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...

. McGrail, Sean. 2004. ''Boats of the World: From the Stone Age to Medieval Times.''

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. Vinson, Steve. 1994. ''Egyptian boats and ships.''

Osprey Publishing Osprey Publishing is a British publishing company specializing in military history formerly based in Oxford. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company p ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bipod Mast Sailing rigs and rigging