# name
Hanging over the Void. Uses of Long Ropes and Climbing Rope Ladders in Prehistory as Illustrated in Levantine Rock Art

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
Direct or indirect evidence of ropemaking are scarce in European prehistory. Only a few
references to Middle or Upper Palaeolithic remains are known to us, with more examples
towards the Holocene. The archaeological contexts of ropes offer little information about
possible uses, as the activities they are used for are often archaeologically invisible.
However, some rock-art traditions shed some light on potential uses, worth exploring.
In Spain, Levantine rock art offers the best graphic examples across Europe showing
various uses of ropes, including climbing. Starting from the recently discovered
climbing scene of Barranco Gómez site (Teruel, Spain), including the best preserved
and more complex use of ropes seen so far in Levantine art, this paper analyses
representations of ropes in this art, as well as their varieties and diverse uses. Our
study suggests that different rope-making techniques were used by Levantine societies,
which we believe are indicative of a complex rope-making technology, requiring a
considerable investment of time and efforts. It also shows a certain variety of rope
climbing techniques and rope climbing gear, illustrating that both were mastered by
Levantine societies. Moreover, a preferential use of ropes in honey-hunting scenes is
observed.

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Cambridge Archeological Journal, 2023, vol. 34, num.1, p. 127-145

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (Història i Arqueologia)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Hanging over the Void. Uses of Long Ropes and Climbing Rope Ladders in Prehistory as Illustrated in Levantine Rock Art