a Team of scientists from Tubingen University (Germany) and the University of Liege (Belgium) identified the purpose of the mysterious instrument made by stone age people from mammoth bone. It turned out that it was intended for weaving ropes.
according to The Guardian, this mysterious artifact has been unearthed by archaeologists in the Hole Fels cave in southwest Germany. The analysis showed that its age is about 40 thousand years. This tool was crafted from the bones of a mammoth.
Its length is 20 inches. A special feature are the four holes drilled with amazing precision and symmetry. Initially, the researchers identified him as a subject for ritual ceremonies. However, it is common practice – it is not possible reliably to identify an object, mark it as a cult.
Archaeologists took a lot of time to establish the purpose of the mysterious artifact. The answer is they literally found empirically. It turned out that it was not a ritual musical instrument and not even a club, emphasizing the high status of the leader of the tribe, and an advanced device for weaving of ropes and twines.
In their study, archaeologists say that using this tool completely changed human life and productivity in prehistoric times. Advances in production technology of the rope has allowed people to abandon the primitive linking, for example, vines and roots.
To deliver heavy carcasses of dead on hunting large animals, people began to use twisted their ropes and cables. Over the centuries, the technology was modified, but we still use laid down in prehistoric times by the framework. According to the researchers, the tool of the stone age helped to make a huge breakthrough in the technology of manufacture of ropes.
They also note that people of the stone age it was a giant tool. What they could use and now proved the experiments. Employees of the University of liège has created a bronze replica, in order not to damage the artifact. They used various raw materials.
Vegetable fiber was extended through the holes that allowed them to create four separate twisted yarn. Further, of those fibres the scientists made ropes, twines and even yarn. They note that this is the earliest known tools for making ropes.
According to the study co-Wirl Rots, its impact on the history of human development could be truly revolutionary. After all, it has opened up new possibilities in the manufacture of bows and arrows, fishing and hunting nets and traps, in the creation of improved clothing and equipment for transporting food.
By the way, before several similar artifacts were discovered in the cave Gough in the UK. They were made of horns of a reindeer. English tools also have several holes, but their age is around 15 thousand years.
