>The necessity of semi-modern tools to accomplish such a feat of
>construction places a limit as to how far back into history the flood
>could have taken place. The deluge had to have happened in relatively
>recent times when copper or bronze was in use.
>
I have done a little more research on this attempt to date the flood by
the need for metal to make ocean going boats. This is contradicted by the
work of the Polynesians. Consider this. Captain Cook from a metal
producing civilization was met by an ocean going boat on Tahiti (made with
stone tools) which was larger than his boat!
"Although different societies developed similar types of boats, such
conditions as the availability of tools and materials or the kinds of
water to be traveled--as well as the requirements of fisherman or
traders--were of great importance in the growth of maritime technology.
American Indians, living mostly inland, never needed to use sails. Pacific
islanders, surrounded by ocean, constructed sails from treebark mats or
plaited strips of wood and were able to travel thousands of miles. They
learned to navigate by weather signs, such as cloud banks over distant
islands, and by the stars and ocean currents. Variations of multihulled
boats, propelled by paddles and sails, were developed by the Micronesians
and Polynesians. Micronesian outriggers, and those of Ceylon and Malaya,
were extremely fast. Many Tahitian craft measured 20 m (65 ft) or
more--as long as a large modern power cruiser. (One canoe that Capt.
James Cook measured on his visit to Tahiti in 1769 was longer than his own
ship, the Endeavour.) Pacific islanders cut planks with adzes and used
lashings of a rope made from vegetable fibers and a caulking of breadfruit
sap to hold their boats together."~John R. Whiting,"Boat and Boating" The
Software Toolworks Encyclopedia, 1992 Ed. version 1.5. Text Copyright
Grolier Inc. 1992
"Early boatbuilders also constructed craft of sewn planks. This form of
construction was used extensively throughout history. Sewn-timber
construction was quite common among the peoples of the Pacific Islands,
whose dugouts often had topsides formed of irregular sewn pieces of
timber. Usually vegetable fiber was used in sewing, although the use of
animal sinew for this purpose was not uncommon. "~Howard I. Chapelle,
"Boats and Boating", Microsoft Encarta, 1994.
Metal was unknown to the Polynesians. They made their boats with stone
tools alone!
" Their houses, built of hardwood posts, were walled with lengths of
bamboo and plaited palm leaves and roofed with reed thatch. Metal was
unknown, but, in New Zealand especially, stone was used for utensils and
carved into axes, lance points, and religious figures. Wood carving in
intricate geometrical patterns was highly developed on many of the
islands."
"Polynesians," Microsoft (R) Encarta. Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft
Corporation.Copyright (c) 1994 Funk & Wagnall's Corporation.
Foundation,Fall and Flood
http://members.gnn.com/GRMorton/dmd.htm