Archeological site in Niah Cave on the island of Borneo. Azreey/Wikipedia

The story of human civilization is tied to rope! According to a paper published in the Journal of Archeological Science recent archeological finds in the Philippines and Indonesia suggest that Southeast Asian people were far more advanced in boatbuilding, offshore fishing and voyaging than previously thought and much of their expertise was based on their use of rope. These societies appear to have had more advanced technology 40,000 years ago than those in Africa and Europe, which previously were considered the leaders in these techniques. 

The study found evidence of plant fiber usage and the “extraction of fibers necessary for making ropes, nets, and bindings essential for boatbuilding and open-sea fishing.” These  people apparently used rope not only for fishing nets and tackle but also structurally for lashing together their boats. In my book Rope I write about the amazing seafaring and navigation skills of Austronesian people in settling the Pacific islands and how rope was an essential tool in that great ocean voyaging effort. You can preorder the book here.