Cordage, Yarn, and Associated Paraphernalia

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Cordage, Yarn, and Associated Paraphernalia" at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Cordage and yarn are typically the earliest fiber technologies to develop in ancient societies, and this development tends to quickly lead to a plethora of further technologies, forming the basis of most constructed interworked fibrous elements, such as basketry, sandals, and twined textiles, and then the vast majority of woven fabrics. Nevertheless, cordage and yarn have also continued to exist and function independently of textiles in a wide variety of roles, including rope and string for wrapping and binding, rigging, nets, torques, belts, and quipus; composite weapons, from slings and harpoons to the crossbow, also rely on cordage. In contexts where textiles no longer survive, the presence of cordage and yarn technology is revealed by the presence of tools, including different types of spindles and whorls, rope spinners, and netting gauges, and by the presence of other associated paraphernalia, including suspended objects, net weights, cleats, and moorings. This symposium explores the enduring presence, function, and meaning of cordage, yarn, and associated tools and paraphernalia in ancient through contemporary societies worldwide.