Kuphar

A kuphar (kufa, kuffah, quffa, quffah, &c.) is a type of coracle or round boat traditionally used on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. They were described by Herodotus who visited Babylon around 450 BCE and observed them,

There were two major forms of construction used — hides stretched over a framework, as described by Herodotus, and woven bundles of reeds or basketry, waterproofed with bitumen. Boats of this sort were still used in modern times, being described by James Hornell in The Coracles of the Tigris and Euphrates (1938).