Palaeolithic Rope-making Experiment

[@kirstenpaff8946]

The fact that someone added instructions to the tool is so incredibly relatable.

[@Scodiddly]

Neolithic P-Touch!

[@Hippiechick11]

This tells us so much, how cooperation accomplishes things, how the tool could have worked and how quickly a rope cam come together. Love this!

[@ladyofthemasque]

It's actually very important to show things going wrong and how one fixes it. We learn as much or more frmo our mistakes (if we pay attention) than we do from our successes. Excellent choice of fiber colors, too; that makes it very easy to see the action happening!

[@caspenbee]

A tool that takes that many people to use implies a real sense of community!

[@GrainneDhub-ll6vw]

The fibres and tool tell you when it is going wrong--so cool!

[@areimnu]

I have so much gratitude that you post your videos with mistakes included. It always makes me feel so much better about my own processes!

[@d4r4butler74]

Something to make sitting (standing?) around a fire in the winter (or in the evenings). Community building, and small hands could probably still help twist.

[@lugo5678]

I've seen a Spanish group performing medieval rope making with a hand crank, wooden blocks, and spindles. The only real difference from this is that two people were able to make the rope.

[@aturegano87]

Check also Eugenio Monesma KZbin channel. He has amazing videos about making ropes like "Cuerdas y sogas artesanales", "El cordelero" and "Cuerdas naturales con hojas de pita o agave" among others.

[@magesalmanac6424]

I have so enjoyed watching your videos. They make me wish I lived closer to nature. Wonderful work as always.

[@ingeleonora-denouden6222]

Experimenting is fun! If this really was the way to use the tool, it must have been fun for our paleolithic ancestors too, to make a rope together as a group 😊

[@fiberhijinks8279]

This is so very cool! Thank you for sharing this experimental archaeology!!

[@taylorm.8545]

Sally your channel has inspired me so many times! I love to make cordage and am making a tiktok channel soon 😁 keep it up!

[@Beryllahawk]

That's so very clever!! Great video!

[@janetchennault4385]

This is much more intuitive than modern rope-making tools. Couldn't you just have pre-spun the fibers? Then you could thread the s-spun fibers through the tool, tied their ends to a horizontal-ish tree branch, backed off until they were taut, and then z-twisting the fibers near your waist, you would walk towards the tree, nudging the tool along as you went (you might need a second person to manage the tool!). That way, only one (or two) people would have been needed to make a rope using that tool.

[@SallyPointer]

There's certainly more experiments to do with this

[@janetchennault4385]

Yes, and that is a wonderful thing!

[@maggiem.5904]

Yes, this makes the most sense to me.

[@resourcedragon]

Fascinating stuff. I watched a video on rope-making two or three years ago and while the rope-maker did it on his own (if I remember correctly), I also seem to remember him needing gorilla-like strength. There were limitations on the length of rope he could make with the way his particular system worked.

[@paguristes5278]

An excellent exercise in experimental archeology. Well done all.

[@lenabreijer1311]

Thank you. I couldn't visualize it when I read the description.

[@cynthiadugan858]

So enjoy these experimental videos. Thank you for taking the time to film and share! Small favor to ask … could you leave the typed comments on just a smidge longer. I’m a fast reader but still having to go back every time to read the whole comment.

[@debbiej.2168]

I'm a slow reader, so I often have trouble.

[@spudspuddy]

If you look at the bronze age boat in Dover museum in kent its SEWN together with Honeysuckle rope...its 3,500 years old and still holding together

[@ChrisSmith-vc7xs]

Sally: Thank you for investigating this tool and it's possible uses. :) I remember Milo S. presenting it in his video and I was like the person to investigate this tool is definitely Sally Pointer. I've wondered if the different hole counts were different strand-thickness ropes, or some sort of pre-straightening tool for weaving - similar to pine straw basket weaving . Either way, happily watching and learning.

[@wodentoad1]

One of my favorite tools!

[@causewaykayak]

The Chatham (Dockyard) Rope Walk machine in miniature. Great experiment !

[@kjellingvaldsen1967]

I was also seeing similarities with "modern" rope walks. In one ende twisting the rope one way, in the middle a block guiding the strands into the rope, being walked (rope walk) down towards the end where the strands is twisted the opposite way.

[@szbyzan]

Thank you. I love all your videos

[@CelticBearWoman]

I thought it was a musical instrument until I saw the scratches in the holes. Very clever of you to think of a different use.

[@munchkin5674]

Very similar to basic rope making. A precursor to the more improved gear cranked rope making machine. : )

[@LuisAldamiz]

Nice experiment. Thank you all.

[@Ph4n_t0m]

That "rifling" looks like actual wear, not deliberately carved. Don't forget grasses have saw-blade edges of silica so thousands upon thousands of uses (we humans tend to need a _lot_ of rope) might've ground-in that rifling all on its own?

[@SallyPointer]

I think the microscopic analysis shows fairly clearly that they are carved, especially as one on the back goes the 'wrong' way, which may indicate an accidental error by the original maker

[@Ph4n_t0m]

@@SallyPointer Thank you for taking the time to reply and clarify. I am of course utterly ignorant just sitting here in my PJs watching a video as I wake up ;)

[@Pammellam]

Japanese rice farmers make traditional homemade rope out of rice straw all the time. Even nowadays. One person can do it. They twist the straw into a rope configuration with both their hands and add more layers as need be. There are plenty of KZbin videos showing this but they are all in Japanese.

[@SallyPointer]

Yep, I've made rope solo too. This was about trying out a suggested interpretation from a specific paper on a specific thing

[@phyllisclark3896]

Thank you ❤️

[@kensvideos1]

Hay! Try hand twisting enough raw fiber to tie around your toe and have a lead. Make sure the lead is tight within a one hole baton. Make a single string by turning the baton one way continually while masaging new fiber to the lead. Just a thought.

[@singe0diabolique]

And, it was pretty!

[@wendyhutchins945]

Very cool

[@aaronrhoades509]

Do you think it actually took five people or you think with a little more skill could have been down to three?? I think it's so interesting to get a look into the day-to-day lives of our ancestors. When we get our hands on their tools and see what it took to do what they had to do just to make a few items Necessary for daily life ??? Do you feel lucky to be able to experience that?? Love your videos thanks for all the time and effort you do to share with us your audience❤❤❤

[@rosevanzeeland904]

I would think three - two twisting two strands each, and one to twine the strands and hold/move the tool. Once you've got it firmly started, there's no need to keep holding the finished rope. Just let it hang, and continue pulling and twisting from there.

[@SallyPointer]

Could definitely work with less,but I had many willing hands available so we used them

[@fredgusti3290]

Bonjour du sud de la France. Merci pour ce partage..."dans la rosée des petites choses le cœur se rafraîchit."

[@abcstardust]

Great video! Thank you for showing how it’s Done!

[@maggiem.5904]

I wouldn’t think that you’d have to twist in the opposite direction to create the ply - the twist in the individual strands will want to unwind itself, and will create the ply in the opposite direction.

[@SallyPointer]

You get a more secure lay with twisting unless you've seriously over twisted the elements first

[@annebarr9314]

Love it .

[@TheKrogon]

incredibly interesting I just found out, that this tool was found not far from where i lived for many years

[@charlottesimonin2551]

Just started following your experiments today. Your work has been excellent and very informative. One thing I noticed is that when you tie your twine you have not used constrictor knots insinuations that would be appropriate. Constrictor knots have the virtue of remaining tight when other ties lossen with time and vibration.

[@GroovlyDo]

What if the "rope" end was hooked on something and the bone tool was twisted around the fibre towards the people (a childs task?) putting tension on/twisting the individual bundles/strands?

[@ladyofthemasque]

The problem with this idea is that the rope end would need a swivel that can spin freely. All the twists of the cordage one way put tension on the fibers, making them want to untwist the other way. A stationary hook or eye-loop would not be moving, and that would force the bone tool to want to spin, tangling up the cordage at the other end. You can literally see the rope-end of things in an eye hook that spins freely in this video, explaining the Edwardian Rope Walk: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKqbfGijgLiqeqMsi=jjCVT4SP1UrdtJJD&t=121 (timestamped to the moment of action; it's quick so you may need to go back with the arrow key to catch it again). The rest of the video's good to watch, as it explains rope-making with the use of simple gear-based machinery, something that could have been invented in Ancient Greece.

[@SallyPointer]

Yep, certainly a twist worth trying. We had lots of people available, so used lots of hands, but this could work with far fewer

[@juleshunter9214]

Awesome ❤

[@danatowne5498]

I love this channel, thank you!

[@franziskameier7013]

When can we get a Lye update please 🙏🏽

[@SallyPointer]

Very soon I hope, I need to get the big reenactment market out of the way first

[@TetraTerezi]

yay!

[@AktyPrawne-zg3dl]

Thank you :)

[@jillatherton4660]

What about a rope bridge build video? ;-)

[@mikkosnellman]

That is an interesting artifact and as ropemaker myself, I have studied it closely. But unfortunately, if you ask any ropemaker, you will get the same answer. It is not a rope making devise. The way you used it, it is just very complicated rope makers top. As you probably noted yourself, there are more simple ways of making rope faster and of higher quality. But of course the devices like spinning hook and ropemakers crank are not so flashy compared to the mammoth ivory "ropemaker". Maybe you could continue your experiments in ancient rope making with those devices? If these are not familiar tools for you, please contact me for information. But anyway, well done. Mikko

[@keving454]

Awesome video! What are the original 4 fibers used.

[@SallyPointer]

The original paper (link in video description) found evidence for cattail or possibly lime bast trapped in the grooves

[@debbiej.2168]

Glad to see you back with a new video. How are your studies going? Have you finished up?

[@scrapbagstudios]

fascinating. Thanks for showing this.

[@a.patrickgibb4456]

Clockwise from one end is the opposite of clockwise from the other end. Try putting two clocks back-to-back and you'll see.

[@SallyPointer]

Yep, here I was accidentally mirror imaging what I should have been doing, a piece of string reads the same from both ends, so it needed a counter clockwise twist.

[@resourcedragon]

@@SallyPointer: This is a bit of a bugbear of mine! While there are some situations where "clockwise" and "anticlockwise" have quite obvious meanings, there are other situations where it's not clear at all and people need, in my opinion, to explain where they're looking at the "clockwise" or "anticlockwise" motion from. Like, if you had a see-through clock you'd see the hands going clockwise if you look at it from the front but they'd be going anticlockwise if you looked at them from the back.

[@ragnkja]

Clockwise screw symmetry remains clockwise from the other end as well.

[@ignaz3254]

This was very interesting! I have been thinking about this specific artifact a lot. There has been a very similar one found near where I live in switzerland. But, I have to say, I do not think this is how it was used. The way you do it, it would not have been necessary to cut the spiral groves in at all. There might have ben a second piece of equipment. Or different material to start with. I could imagine it used with fresh skin, the soft material might twist on its own when pulled trough the thread-like holes.

[@SallyPointer]

I agree it's an object that could be used in a number of ways. This experiment is really just replication of the ideas the current researchers have. It's going to be fun to try it with different materials and techniques too. I do like the idea of wet rawhide, that would be very interesting to explore

[@maggiem.5904]

Or retted flax or nettle fibers.

[@Faesharlyn]

I want to hold it in my left hand and roll the fibers on my right thigh. I think they'd stick together in their three strands if damp, and they'd all have the same twist so they'd ply evenly. The finished rope should just lay itself on the other side of the tool.

[@SallyPointer]

For me, the strands are too thick to manage four at once on my thigh, but if it works for you then that's great. There's almost always more than one way to use a tool. Let me know how it goes once you've made your replica and tried it.

[@Faesharlyn]

@SallyPointer I wonder, have you tried grass or a thinner, less processed fiber? raffia is so heavy and stiff, it's not like the grass or other fibers that would have been used in that tool...

[@nancyseiley4190]

Dear Mrs. Sally, Not to be rude, but will you still be making a second home made soap recipe from ancient home made lye?

[@SallyPointer]

Definitely, life got really busy then winter got in the way, but I'm hoping to do it very soon

[@theoutdoortraditionalist]

So it's a little like the modern day box ropemakers with a handle turning several metal hooks I guess.

[@SallyPointer]

It does the trick! There's potentially several ways to use it, and I'll be investigating further

[@seabournewolf2298]

most perforated batons have only one hole so its absolutely not for rope making. there are many with 2 holes and rarely some with 3 or more. I've noted most are curved, somewhat like a handle with a slight point. many of the batons have have stubs of a fork. the hole is located at the fork with a smaller stub at the hole and a longer fork slightly further away. sometimes the holes have spiral cuttings sometimes the holes are clean. most are made of bone, antler or ivory. id be far more inclined to think its a digging tool or weapon. the design lends itself as a small lever if used with a rope to bind something. what its for? no one knows. what its not used for...making ropes

[@SallyPointer]

Have you read the recent paper with analysis of the fibres found in the holes?

[@sylkebambilke1364]

well done!

[@robmarshallofficial]

Very interesting to watch and learn. What was the material you used to make the rope?

[@debbiej.2168]

I think she said raffia.

[@Pammellam]

She said “rafita” I think, but I’m not sure what that is.

[@SallyPointer]

For this quick test we had two shades of raffia to hand, lime bast is the next one to use though, or cattail in season

[@SallyPointer]

Raffia is a palm fibre

[@wendymoyer782]

Brilliant!

[@crocutaqueen1311]

Thats so coooool!! Thank youu!!!

[@jaegrant6441]

It's a dang shame that these knowledges have been severed from our collective knowledges

[@juliajs1752]

Meh, ropemaking is still a very valid and used craft. And we don't really need to know 20000 year old technologies when we have others that fulfill the same purpose.

[@SallyPointer]

We learn a lot about how our earlier selves approached things by trying their methods. Just because we might choose to use a more modern version now doesn't mean there's no point in exploring earlier versions.

[@londongael414]

@@SallyPointer Absolutely - and you never know, we might have to go back to some of these sustainable technologies, that are the foundation of our modern world.

[@kjellingvaldsen1967]

​@@londongael414 You're out in the bush, need some cordage/rope. Yeah, would be nice craft to know, so you can make it from local materials.

[@kaygee301]

Great, thank you

[@Timbyte]

always a good video

[@np8051]

Mam what happen to Lye soap making video?? 😮... Oh i got answer in other comment😅

[@1outtolunch]

My clock is digital it is wise but not clock wise. ❤

[@melissamoore521]

❤

[@uarestrong76]

Dear Sally, Did you ever finish the etvged girl outfit? if so we'd love to see it!

[@SallyPointer]

No, it was about that time that Gareth became ill and that got in the way. It's still on the list, and the Bronze Age belt video fits in with that project.

[@Clover12346]

Awesome

[@androgenoide]

There's an interesting tool here ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6i6d3aErcmFgJY ) that uses a single hole device rotated on a stick to make rope.

[@jillatherton4660]

😄👏👏👏

[@CelticBearWoman]

reminds me of rope braiding my own hair. If you twist the coils together one way it creates a rope, if you twist the coils the other way you have twine. I'm sure by now you've realized you can do this with less women.

[@SallyPointer]

Oh yes, this works with two people and a log, but great fun as a group activity

[@emiliabarbosa8835]

So cool! 🎉🎉🎉

[@lacrimis_solis]

😮😮😮

[@ianbruce6515]

Lot of people required...I think that if this was a truly practical technique--it would have survived into historic times and still be in use quite recently, somewhere.

[@spudspuddy]

the bronze age boat in Dover museum in kent its SEWN together with Honeysuckle rope...its 3,500 years old and still holding together