The ends of the Jaredite barges were described as "peaked" (Ether 2:16). According to Paul Hedengren, one way of producing peaks is to taper and bend up the ends of hull planks. This technique can produce a very strong hull.
There are some marked similarities between the Jaredite barges and the earliest known examples of merchant ships. The National Geographic of December, 1987, presents an artist's reconstructive drawing of a 14th century B.C. trading vessel based upon what the article calls the oldest known shipwreck. Excavation of the vessel provided information for drawing the bottom of the vessel. As the upper portions had decayed, the upper portions of the drawing were modeled after a 14th century B.C. Egyptian tomb painting showing the arrival of a Syrian fleet. The ship is fifty feet long. [Paul Hedengren, The Land of Lehi: Further Evidence for the Book of Mormon, pp. 78-79]
Ether 2:17 The ends thereof were peaked (Illustration): 14th Century B.C. Mediterranean Trading Vessel. [Paul Hedengren, The Land of Lehi: Further Evidence for the Book of Mormon, p. 79]
“The Ends Thereof Were Peaked”
According to Randall Spackman, in what is a striking modern parallel to the Jaredite description of the "lightness" of the barges and their "peaked" ends (Ether 2:16-17), Laechler and Wirt wrote of the Chinese junk, "It does not cut through the water but skims across its surface . . . It is modeled after water birds, and its stern resembles their upswept tails in form." Commenting on this quality in sea-going junks, Donelly wrote: "The stern is always higher than the bow . . . The vessel will more easily lie head to wind in a gale, and . . . stands a better chance against being 'pooped' by an overtaking wave in a heavy sea. Also from this point of vantage on the high poop where he works the unwieldy tiller, the steersman commands a good view over the bow of the boat." [Randall P. Spackman, The Jaredite Journey to America, pp. 71-73, unpublished]
Ether 2:17 The ends thereof were peaked ([Illustration]): Included in the famous Dorak treasure from Turkey is a silver sword. Down the length of the silver blade is engraved nine seagoing ships. All have peaked prows. . . . The sword is dated c. 2500 B.C. (It can be seen in color in The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, Vol. 1, Yigael Yadin, p. 144.) [Verneil W. Simmons, Peoples, Places and Prophecies, pp. 30, 272]