Any technology that is used by large numbers of people and is constantly used will advance and develop. If one were to use the same materials as the Byzantines had available, I have no doubt they could build far better ships than present-day humanity could with the same materials.
I wholeheartedly agree. The Romans (the name “Byzantines” is modern) built pretty enormous ships in wood, well past what was considered the practical limit even during the Age of Sail. Caligula built a temple to himself, of which not all that much remains, but the foundations of the pillars he had put into the facade are there, and at least one of the pillars survives. It was quarried in Egypt (I believe at Mons Claudianus) in one piece, and transported by ship. Each of those weighed about 200 tons. The special ship he had made to transport that really large (300+ tons) obelisk from Egypt was a tourist attraction in its own right. It may actually still exist, I’ve gone all pedantic about that in another topic.