Knowing the Ropes: A Twist on 18th Century Rope Making
Making and Demonstrating the Art and Craft of Natural Fiber Rope Making Rope making is one of the first and most useful skills developed by humans. It predates other ancient tools and technologies such as the wheel and the ax. Not only was rope necessary for outfitting watercraft, it was needed to secure animals (and other humans), bundle goods, control horses, for tent making, for making simple footwear, and for team-based heavy lifting and pulling. And, in a pinch, holding up your pants. Without rope, the early Egyptians and ancient Chinese would be paddling their barges and feluccas up and down rivers, limiting the distance they could reasonably travel and the weight of goods they could hall. Both strong and flexible, the uses are endless. A rope might not seem very important, but it was critical to the emergence of early cultures around the globe. Rope making demonstration with a young apprenti ce. Demonstrating 18 th century rope making is one of my favorite acti...