The Ties That Bind: Cordage, Its Sources, and the Artifacts of Its Creation and Use

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Ties That Bind: Cordage, Its Sources, and the Artifacts of Its Creation and Use" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Cordage is typically the earliest fiber technology to develop in ancient societies, and it tends quickly to form the basis of most constructed interworked fibrous textiles and fabrics. Nevertheless, cordage has continued to exist and function independently of textiles in a wide variety of roles, as in the rope, yarn, and string used for wrapping, binding, and transporting, as well as for rigging, torques, quipus, nets, and other cordage-based tools and devices. In contexts where the cordage no longer survives, the presence of cordage technology is revealed by the presence of tools for making cordage, including spindles, whorls, and rope spinners, and by the presence of paraphernalia that relies on cordage, such as netting gauges, cleats, moorings, slings, harpoons, and suspended objects. This session explores the enduring production, function, and meaning of cordage in ancient through contemporary societies worldwide.