Archaeologia Baltica

Lithuanian boat and ship archaeology is a field of studies that is still in its very early stages. This paper is presented as a case study of a solitary watercraft found during underwater prospecting. The subtitle ‘From log-boat to boat’ is intended not only to stress technical innovations and transitions in boat-building techniques, but also to open a new chapter in Lithuanian inland underwater archaeology, with an emphasis on boat and ship archaeology. Some technical features of this boat, such as the bottom made from a single piece of pine, links it to more archaic log-boats. In eastern Lithuanian woodlands, archaic watercraft remained relatively unchanged up to modern times. From appearances, the Rašia boat can be taken as originating during the change from log-boat to boat, reflecting some features that can be retrospective in time to earlier periods of history.