An ancient rope, a piece of history

Neanderthals may have learned to "tie ropes" and tie tools with strings.
researchers have found the oldest known direct evidence of fiber technology , the yarn made from natural fibers. The findings improve understanding of Neanderthal cognitive abilities in the middle of the Old Stone Age (300,000 to 30,000 years ago). The paper was published in Scientific Reports on April 9.
Bruce Hardy and colleagues at Kenyon College in Ohio found a 6mm-long string made of three fibres attached to a 60mm-long thin stoner. They speculated that the string might have been a handle wrapped in a stoner, or part of a net or bag containing the stoner.
the rope was found at the site of Abri du Maras in France, with annual data showing it was between 52,000 and 41,000 years old. Using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, the researchers found that the fibers that make up the rope may have come from the inner bark of some unflowing trees, such as conifer trees.
The researchers believe that making such strings requires a broad understanding of the growth and seasonality of trees, and that Neanderthals may also need to master mathematical concepts and basic computing power to make thick ropes consisting of fiber bundles (i.e. yarns), three strings and multiple strings.
, the oldest fiber fragments found came from israel's Ohalo II site, about 19,000 years ago. The latest findings suggest that fiber technology may be longer-established, and that Neanderthals may have cognitive abilities closer to modern humans than previously thought.
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