Crime at sea has a history as old as civilization

They've never spliced a main brace, uttered a yo-ho-ho or sported a black eye patch. And their drug habits give a whole new meaning to the High Seas.While today's pirates, notably the well-armed gangs off the coast of Somalia, are far from the romantic figures of historical fiction, they have deep roots in the distant past, a buccaneering line stretching back to 1350 BC, the time of Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. "Some people say law and prostitution are the oldest occupations in the world," says Cindy Vallar, editor of the history column Pirates and Privateers. "But as soon as people learned to carry goods in boats, pirates were right behind them."
Texas-based Vallar, who has studied piracy for a decade, says pirates have historically morphed from ragtag raiders to major political and economic forces that have undermined kingdoms and empires.The Sea People, a confederation of eastern Mediterranean tribes, menaced the Middle Eastern coasts and set their sights on conquering Egypt more than two millennia ago..more..http://www.thestar.com/article/620569
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