oar

The earliest historical evidence of boats is found in Egypt during the 4th millennium bce. A culture nearly completely riparian, Egypt was narrowly aligned along the Nile, totally supported by it,

…most ancient warships were many-oared galleys, each ship requiring a large number of rowers. The result was that the personnel provided to man a fleet of those times had to be a considerable one. These great rowing galleys relied for their offensive powers on boarding or ramming, and they…

…square sail and with steering oars to port and starboard. Their war galleys show a Cretan influence: low in the bow, high in the stern, and with a heavy pointed ram at or below the waterline. Oars could be carried in a staggered, two-bank arrangement, allowing more oars to be…

oars alone, probably the most common type of boat found around waterfronts and at most fishing camps and docks on inland waters.