Ancient 4-Holed Ivory Device Found to be Early Rope-Making Tool
- Ancient 4-holed ivory baton found in German cave, originally thought to be artwork
- Researchers created a replica and found it could be used to easily make rope
- Baton had wear marks indicating repeated pulling of material through holes
- Residue suggests plant materials like nettles, willow, etc were pulled through
- By passing strands through holes and braiding, a rope could be efficiently made