More than 30 coils of rope were found carefully stored in a hand-hewn cave on the Red Sea coast of Egypt at Marsa Gawasis. These ropes proved to be nearly 4,000 years old, the oldest actual examples known so far, and have given Egyptologists and maritime researchers a lot to think about.
They were originally discovered in 2005. Excited researchers described the ropes as well preserved and undisturbed. Surprisingly, they were coiled and tightened in the same way that today’s sailors handle their ropes. They were stored in piles and researchers believe there are actually more than 60 coils. Most were found at the back of the cave
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Egyptian rope is believed to be one of the strongest ropes ever made in the ancient world, and researchers hope to learn the secrets of Egyptian rope-making by studying the physical composition and method of manufacturing used by their ancient makers
.The coils are described as about 98 feet (30 meters) long and very thick. Experts believe they were used to produce structural stability on the ship. They would have been secured at the bow and stern of the ship to prevent the vessel from weakening and collapsing at either end. Ancient Egyptian portrayals of ships distinctly show the use of these rope trusses, and Thor Heyerdahl’s experiments with ancient replicas clearly showed the need for these stabilizers, especially on papyrus boats.
The ropes are made of a single type of unidentified vegetable fiber. Scientists have so far ruled out materials such as halfa grass, papyrus and palm as the source of the fibers and have begun looking at reed.
While there is evidence that cords and ropes were being made many thousands of years earlier, these Egyptian ropes are now believed to be the oldest actual examples of ancient ropemaking.
For more information about these ancient ropes and other discoveries made in caves at Marsa Gawasis, visit this site
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