Demonstrator showcases rope making at Sycamore Shoals

In my visits to area historic sites, I have had the opportunity to learn many skills and crafts. Among these are starting a fire with flint and steel, throwing the tomahawk, making cider, making candles and making soap. Now I can add rope making to the list. "Rope making is just twisting of a bunch of fibers together," said David Doan from Blountville, who was conducting a rope making demonstration inside Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton. "Most likely, we don't know when they started to twist things together, but as soon as they figured out how to move their fingers around, they probably twisted something. That's probably when it started," said Doan. "Most of the time it probably had been vines they had twisted together. You twist the vines together, and you form a rope." There are many natural materials you could make a rope with. Cotton, sisal, any vines that you could strip the bark from, but according to Doan, horsehair is probably the strongest fiber. "You can twist and braid with that," he said. "Rope is like spinning yarn. In fact, the terminology to a point is the same. You have fibers, you have to get your fibers prepared just like you would spinning wool or cotton or anything like that," Doan said. "You card it out, straighten it out, and then you start twisting it together into a yarn. Then you take your yarns, and when you twist them together that's one strand. You can double that over and turn it into two strands." Doan pointed out that anyone can make rope very easily by taking some twine or other such material, hook it to something on one end, and then start twisting on it. "Somewhere in time, they come up with what they called a rope walk, so they could make longer ropes," said Doan. In a rope walk, you would have a person for each strand being twisted from yarn. When the strands were at the proper twist, another person with a paddle or top would insert that in between the strands at the far end to start the finial twist. They would slowly walk toward the people doing the twisting while the rope takes shape behind. "Each person would twist each of those strands, so it was three people twisting. You would need a person working the paddle. If the rope was very long you might need many people," Doan said. "You've got to keep those strands separated until that twist is as tight as you wanted it back there," he said pointing to the rope twisting behind the paddle. Doan said he always tried to make sure the people doing the twisting were friends because it was easy to hit each other with the large sticks used to do the twisting. The problem of hitting each other with sticks disappeared when someone came up with tools to which strands could be attached, and then a hand crank would allow one person to do the twisting that was formerly done by three or more people. "Egyptians came up with the first tools that we can find evidence of," Doan said. There are many skill-related workshops coming to Sycamore Shoals in June that will give you a chance for hands-on learning. There will be a Cherokee pine glue making workshop on June 20. Participants will learn the traditional methods used by the Cherokee, who relied on pine pitch as a vital adhesive for everything from toolmaking to repairing canoes. Guided by historic techniques and authentic materials, you'll learn how this indispensable substance was crafted and why it played such an important role in daily life. On June 25, there will be a fire-by-friction workshop. Discover the ancient method of creating fire by rubbing sticks together. Learn the types of wood the Cherokee and other local tribes used, proper technique and the history of this challenging but rewarding fire-starting method. On June 28, there will be a "Useful Plants of Appalachia" hike at the park. Walk through the park grounds and trails to see and learn about useful native plants and trees. From the so-called weeds in your yard to towering tulip poplars and deep forest species, learn how Native Americans and frontier folk made natural medicines and nutritious meals from the wild flora of our landscape. All these fun programs and workshops require registration, and there may be fees to cover the cost of materials. To learn more, go to www.tnstateparks.com/parks/events/sycamore-shoals. Ned Jilton II is a photographer, history lover and columnist. You can contact him at ndjphoto@aol.com.