The 16th-century dhow (sailing vessel) depicted here features slanting sails and stitched construction--the boards of the hull were sewn together using plant fibers or sinew cords. Muslim traders based in Gujarat, India, sailed ships like these across the Indian Ocean. Their trade networks extended from Southeast Asia and China to Africa's east coast. Direct routes between the Persian Gulf and South China Sea were established by Arab traders as early as the 2nd century BCE.