hull. A common feature of European designs was the consideration for a large degree of armament as colonial powers had to defend from both aggressive rival European traders and pirates seeking to plunder goods. Asian designs Many of the ships that were developed in Asia were characterized by a series of traits. For example, flat-bottomed craft were often prevalent in many Chinese vessels and were adapted for navigating in the shallow waters of the rivers that are common in China. For example, the Chinese treasure ship, known for its usage during Zheng He's seven voyages to bring distant goods and establish political and economic relationships with foreign powers. The most prevalent ship design originating from Asia during this era was the junk, which was developed centuries earlier in Ancient China during the Han dynasty. Known for its battened sail and close to the water line stature, junks saw usage in both shallow waters and extensive ocean voyages. Middle Eastern designs Largely due to the absence of a large, oceanic body of water situated by the Middle East, most shipbuilding designs reflected that of shallow water vessels or iterations meant to prepare the ship for deep-sea voyage. The dhow was a long-hulled boat that was utilized for trading extensively in the Islamic world. In the early modern era, Middle Eastern shipbuilding stagnated for the most part. However, dhows did receive a variety of adjustments in order to suit the goals of global trade of this time period. The baghlah allowed for greater range as it was a dhow scaled up to include a greater number of sails and larger cargo hold. These modifications to the traditional dhow allowed it travel much further, even as far as the Spice Islands. North and South American designs During this time, indigenous populations were limited to basic vessels that were constructed in previous eras. However, colonizing Europeans powers utilized their ship technology to traverse the Atlantic Ocean to access the New World. References Early Modern period Shipbuilding