▁by ▁the ▁termin ology ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁among ▁Mediter rane an ▁Arab s ▁which ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁Gre co - R oman ▁nom en cl ature . ▁More ▁detailed ▁research ▁into ▁their ▁early ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁is ▁ham per ed ▁by ▁a ▁distinct ▁lack ▁of ▁une qu iv ocal ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁sail ing ▁rig s ▁in ▁early ▁Islam ic ▁art . ▁A ▁gla zed ▁pot tery ▁d ish ▁from ▁Sar ac en ic ▁D én ia ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁is ▁at ▁present ▁the ▁earliest ▁secure ly ▁ident ifiable ▁example ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁ ▁N ile ▁River ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁the ▁late en ▁sail ▁spread ▁to ▁the ▁N ile ▁River ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁where ▁the ▁late en - rig ged ▁fel u cca ▁was ▁developed . ▁ ▁D iff usion ▁to ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁▁ ▁The ▁emer gence ▁of ▁new ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁and ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁sail ▁in ▁the ▁ancient ▁Mediter rane an ▁in ▁recent ▁dec ades ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁re evalu ation ▁of ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Arab ▁se af aring ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁in ▁that ▁process . ▁Ne ither ▁the ▁att ribution ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁to ▁the ▁Arab s ▁nor ▁its ▁origin ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁can ▁any ▁longer ▁be ▁u ph eld : ▁▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁late en ▁sail ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁attributed ▁by ▁sch ol ars ▁to ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁and ▁its ▁introduction ▁into