A New Spin on Cordage
The Effects of Material and Culture
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5981938 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maxine Mcbrinn (Field Museum of Natural History, corresponding author), Cristina Peterson Smith (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 265-273 |
| Publication date | 2006-03-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | KIVA (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0023-1940 • E-ISSN: 2051-6177 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1179/kiv.2006.71.3.003 |
| OpenAlex | W2121313213 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 1 |
Cordage spin direction is primarily thought to be the result of cultural training, although some researchers also believe that it may, in part, reflect the innate structure of materials. To test whether material structure was the dominant determinant in the choice of spin direction, we spun yucca, cotton, and human hair both z-wise and s-wise. Z-wise spinning was easier and resulted in a tighter yarn for all three materials, although yucca showed the greatest difference in spin direction. Six collections of cordage from the Greater Southwest were analyzed, which showed that most cordage made from hard-leaf fibers, like Yucca spp. or Agave spp., was spun with an initial s-spin. We argue that in the Southwest, cultural factors are the dominant influence on cordage spin
Agave · Biology · Botany · Composite material · Significant difference · Spin (aerodynamics) · Spinning · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Botanical Research and Applications · Engineering · Materials Science · Mechanical Engineering · Medicine · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
| Citations per year | 0.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2010 - 2025 (16) |
| Highly cited | No |