Jason S. Rogers

Logboats of the Moravian Gate: Monoxyl Dugout Vessels from Central Europe.

(Under the direction of Dr. Lawrence E. Babits) Department of History, May 2004.

This thesis describes and analyses all known dugout logboats from the region of Moravia, the eastern third of the Czech Republic. This region corresponds with the drainage basin of the Morava River. There are thirteen vessels in the study, of which eight are still in existence. As all previously published information has been descriptive in nature; no analysis has ever been carried out. This investigation, therefore, fill two gaps: it disseminates data on the Moravian vessels to the English-speaking world, and it subjects the boats to analysis.

The analysis consists of descriptions of the natural and human contexts of the vessels, that is, the region's physical geography and the human history, as well as a quantitative analysis of six vessels, where enough data exists to perform the analysis. The thesis also contains chapters on constructing dugout logboats, a catalogue of the Moravian vessels, and a review of established analytical methodologies.

The analysis of Moravian logboats shows the tremendous load-carrying capacity of these vessels. The physical and historical contexts, combined with the results of quantitative analysis, clearly suggest that these vessels were intended to carry heavy and bulky cargoes. As such, they were indispensable for the economic prosperity and well-being of the communities that constructed and used them.