Page 8 - Des Pawson "Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices"
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Introduction
Knots have been with us since the years ago there is evidence of man cutting
beginning of time. They are not just thongs, and in China objects have been
restricted to mankind. Gorillas tie identified as needles, implying that
creepers together to make their nests. sewing and knotting took place. Some
Birds make nests with a knotted weave. 80,000-year-old spear points have been
The hag fish [eptatretus stoutii], found on found that had to be lashed to poles;
the eastern shores of the Pacific, ties itself 40,000 years ago part of mankind was
in a knot as protection. There are living in tent-like structures, which
even knots to be found in DNA. This suggests some knotting taking place.
is without thinking of the accidental Burials at Sungifi in Russia, 25,000 years
formation of knots in creepers and ago, have produced a wide range of beads
other plants. and perforated fox teeth that it is thought
As man first evolved he, too, would were sewn to clothing. There is some
have taken the creepers, grasses, animal evidence that European cave dwellers
skins, and sinews that came to hand and who decorated their caves with paintings
used them as primitive cordage with used some form of scaffolding that would
which to tie knots. Unfortunately these have needed plenty of knots and lashings
organic materials decay, and need very to build. A small fragment of fossilized
special, extreme circumstances to survive, two-ply cord has been found in the
Pocket Guide to Knots & Splices
leaving very little evidence for us today. Lascaux caves in France.
Yet by circumstantial evidence we know As mankind migrated across the
that earliest man, be he hunter or herder, world, people would have crossed
had material with which he would tie substantial stretches of water. To achieve
knots. Some prehistoric beads and this some form of flotation aid or boat
pendants with perforations to take some would have been needed, which in itself
kind of cord were found in caves in would be likely to require knots and lash¬
Austria. These items were dated about ings. This crossing of the waters goes
300,000 years old, and if a cord went back at least 700,000 years, with many
through the holes it would have to be crossings to what is now Australia taking
joined . . . with a knot! From 100,000 place about 30,000 years ago, yet the
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