Iraq’s watercraft heritage is unique, and central to its history as a river-based civilisation. Boats resembling those depicted by the Sumerians and other early Mesopotamians were still in widespread use until the 20th century, having outlasted the rise and fall of successive civilisations. But today, after decades of conflict, economic pressures, displacement of communities and damage to the environment, these ancient boat types are endangered. Since 2016, we have been working with Iraq’s remaining boatbuilding communities to document their craft techniques, transfer knowledge to the next generation, and bring traditional boats back into production for new uses.