Hopefully this will be graced by the KZfaq algorithm soon. It’s utterly fascinating

It turned out to be really pretty. Perfect for keeping your hair from falling over your eyes, especially in summer time.

I remain amazed at your abilities with natural fibres; equally amazing to think that 25,000 years or so ago, a woman might have made a net just as you did for herself, her daughter or another girl or women and yet another person thought it significant enough to spend the time to capture her image with a piece of ivory and stone tools.

Might be because I work food service, but the first glimpse of the bust had my brain saying "ah, yes, an ancient hair net, obviously." Could it not be a softer netting that's meant to encapsulate the hair and keep it out of the way while, say, cooking or cleaning? Keeps hair out of the food, as well as out of the fire, sincewe all know long hair and open flame don't mix very well. And generally up not in danger of falling into any mucky business tending to anything else. Love the information on the channel, by the way. Exactly the kinds of things I'm interested in, in a practical sense.

Fascinating :) I'm again amazed how You can go from something that looks like handful of hay, to a wearable, functional piece of garment.

I definitely read it as some sort of headdress because of the way the lines converge on the crown. I think if it were braids the lines would be continuous from the forehead all the down the back of the head. As it is I see the headdress made of 2 main parts, a sort of shell shaped bit that sits on the top of the head and then a curtain that hangs down from the edge of the top portion. I can imagine it decorated with shells or other beads and maybe tassels of wool or feathers to give it weight, movement, and color. Of course that is only my imagination without any sort of evidence.

As you I putting this together I am reminded of the snood, which probably had many names, that was used to contain women's hair down the ages The design connection appears quite strong

I got to see the original in St. Germain en Laye. When you go to the museum there, normally you only get to see a copy. But I was part of a group that was allowed into the locked, private room where the finder's collections were kept in their 19th C. display cases. In art history classes I saw full-page images of the Venus and thought it was a bust, not having paid attention to its dimensions. But in fact, it is very tiny, smaller than a golf ball. I can imagine it being cradled lovingly in the palm of a hand, and put into a small pouch when heading off to the next encampment.

Nice to see I'm not the only one who measures in hand spans, thumbs and joints. 😄

The technique of adding in more fiber to the twisted cord, especially when starting the cross rows to make the squares, reminds me a bit of making zig-zaggy gum wrapper chains in elementary school.

That is the way I had always interpreted that artifact. Just right!

Honestly, I'm still in the "braided hair" camp rather than the "woven head covering" camp, but its' still fascinating to see how someone might have woven a net so early in our history (whether for hair or any other purpose) from fibre fairly quickly using only hands for tools. Lovely work. Maybe make a similar skirt to go with it?

I’m looking at the nettles at the bottom of the garden in a whole new light!

I love your use of natural fibres. I was using nettle fiber to make small cordage this fall with my 6 year olds st work. Som stinging was to be had, but nevertheless a fun project for kids to see where "we all started". So now they keep talking about how we can use forest "string". Whenever we find ourselves needing rope or string. Great job and awesome tutorials.

So fascinating, I had thought they were braids, but after reading the comments and looking at your finished net, I can see how it could be a net. Thank you for sharing.

This head-dress reminds me of a period re-enactment on film, where the bride wore a similar item made with gold wire and gold beads at the junctions. Fascinating!

This is beautiful! Made from nettles… you’ve done an amazing job, Sally.

What I love best is that it brings the original alive! I’ve always wanted to connect with my foremothers in herbalism, and this hand and heart knowledge of plant use feels like that. Thank you so much, for your patience and exploration.

it makes sense that in the late 19th century they'd interpret this as a net, since it was so expected for women to cover their heads when going out, and had been for basically centuries! i'm in the braid camp, but i love this exploration.

My idea: start the last row from left front and right front as before. At cross points, twist and cross once on vertical cord and horizontal cord. Lay 1 vertical leg on each horizontal leg. Continue cordage to next cross point. Link in back, and hide ends by tucking into cord from inside (like weaving in ends for knit and crochet projects). 😊

This was super interesting to watch and the finished net was really pretty - far prettier than I ever thought nettles could be. I can also see a fancier one done with feathers, shells and flowers woven into it.

The carving almost has a quilted, puffy look to the squares in the plaits. If it were plaited/interwoven with strips of rabbit fur would have that puffy look and give it a more practical winter headdress application.

I've just discovered this channel a week ago and I'm very excited with the informative videos! It's easy to imagine our ancestors working like this. For a long time, I've been thinking about making some cordage out of nettle fibres. Your videos gave me the confidence to process my first bunch of nettles a few days ago and soon I'll be making my first locally grown cordage! 😄 Thanks for sharing your passion!

The hairnet reminded me of Macrame...so I looked at some of my Macrame books...and it actually kinda make sense...not just hair nets ...I mean even shirts and skirts could be made and even looked like ceremonial wear....

I can see how it's working out...but all those ends would have me in Bedlam in half an hour! Lol! And I'm in Newfoundland! Maybe I'll crochet one out of acrylic! Hahaha!

It looks great on your head with natural hair. Looks a bit rough when working on on the dummy. Goes to show these things were thought of too wear not in a museum ;) impressive really. And 8 hours of work, seems reasonable for long boring waiting times or winter work or summer when nature is so generous you have free time because foraging is ’quick work’ !

That is amazing! I’m crafty but would never have thought to add the cross pieces while rolling the cordage! I am definitely going to give this a try! This will be much stronger than knotting pieces together! ❤️

I swear, I could watch you twist twine all day

I've only just found you today, Sally. ...and I'm fascinated! Since I was a child I might find myself trying to weave or braid pieces of limber bark or pine needles or small vines or whatever! Just playing around in idle moments. Now, you are showing me that I was almost on to something! I've only recently discovered that the pesky "weeds" (nettles) that plague our E. Texas property...and that I desperately wanted to eradicate...are super nutritious. Now...you have shown me yet another use for nettles! What we call stinging nettles (or horse nettles) don't seem to grow nearly as tall as yours: maybe 8-12". The tallest nettle we have is what we call Bull Nettles. The stalk is much bigger in diameter (3/4"-1") but I've seen them grow 2-3 feet tall. Is there a possibility those could be used for fibers, too? ...or am I going to have to experiment with those on my own? lol

Interesting interpretation!

I didn't initially interpret this as a hairnet. It probably wasn't my first thought because of my cultural perspective, but the crown of the head convinces me that a net might be the right answer. I have done and had lots of cornrow braids in my life so I know they don't tend to taper at the crown of the head, at least not in modern times. This would have been handy for keeping hair out of the face!

Good morning What a wonderful video I'm happy to meet a good friend Have a nice weekend

Is it possible that the crosshatched pattern on the Venus was exaggerated in order to emphasize that she was indeed wearing something, and that the actual structure was much finer and more fabric-like, more like the linen caps and hoods of the middle ages?

This was fascinating. Only thought I had is that instead of tying knots, they might have twisted the cord around the bottom, connecting all the pieces in a basket weaving style. When you make a basket, at the top, you lay over and braid all the 'strands' together to form a smooth edge.

Wonderful crafting and exploring archaeology

What an interesting delightful video. What a beautiful thing you did with the nettles.

As usual, amazing work. While I was watching I had a thought of a head piece with shells interwoven within the openings. So collect a bunch of shells similar in size that would fit within all the openings. Drill two holes on each side near the narrow end of the shell large enough to string through the nettle then continue interweaving until all the shells are placed. I think it would look fabulous. End result would be a shell cap. :)

wow, I am so impressed, beautiful.

Correctly interpretted or not Sally this has turned out to be a lovely accessory. Once I saw it covering your hair I started wondering if it was actually a bag originally (shower cap shaped) into which a woman bundled the long ends of her hair to keep it contained. Very much like a snood but not stretchy. Since the little head is damaged perhaps the bottom edge of the cap is missing.

I love the way it turned out. Looks so great over your hair.

Looks absolutely gorgeous on you. Just found your channel. Bingeing…. :)

I like. Would like to try with modern materials. I have plenty of those on hand.

I'm watching this while doing some Nalbinding, which I first learned best from watching your videos. This is amazing!

Would look cool with beads from short lengths of hollow bird bone threaded on as the twining proceeds maybe!

I feel it was more of a deer chamois with smocking stitchs to give it shape yet allows for the taught top yet soft folding which is draped down the sides to shape to the ropes of hair underneath on the young womans head.

You so clever! I don't know how you are keeping track of all the strands!!!! Brilliant!

Great work! I am sure a woman of the period would love it! Let's see more experiments like this.

That's an awesome talent. Probably used to catch fish and she wore it to keep her hair from flying while riding horse, carriage, chariot or hold cloth over her head then this fish net. Maybe she wore them as hose?

Actually doesn't look bad when worn. I was dubious about the fashion value, and granted I have no idea what they would've considered to be pretty back then, but yeah; nicely made and nicely worn. A while back I made a length of cord out of regular old Florida grass. I used these stems that the grass uses to seed. They these tall single-strand stems so not bad for not really hunting for fibrpus material. I corded it without drying or anything, and I will say it shrunk and loosened the next day but even so it was pretty decent strength. Stellar strength by folding it in half and reverse cording it. Like I could put the sort of tension where my wrists sorta shook and the cord made a nice "thrum" sound. I'm sure if you had enough grass cord, maybe quadruple corded instead of double like I did, you could use it to dock a tiny boat or something. Not bad.

Very interesting. I don't think there is a way to know if you got it right or wrong. I don't think it matters. I think you did a great job with it.

Imo these carvings were meant to depict braids/dreadlocks, but it's still quite possible that there were some kinds of nets to wear in hair

That’s a great video. Picked some nettles today, but won’t do this yet, still learning. The hairnet seems totally authentic and beautiful. Thank you.

Beautiful!

Super video,hvala prijatelju.Veliki pozdrav 💓💓💖💖

Looks brilliant 👏

as always, a wonderful little journey to brighten my day. thank you for bringing me along

I love your videos, and you are such a sweet person, always with a little smile! You are also very good at explaining things without using intellectual words, despite you being an academic 👍🏾

I think that the hairnet interpretation resembles the original more closely than a complex braid interpretation based on the views presented in the article you showed. You have certainly shown that it is plausible. While the net pattern is more cleanly geometrical on the artifact, the whole piece is very stylized so I don't the roughness of the geometry of your net is significant.

That's absolutely gorgeous!!!!!

I have always wondered how people with curly, thick hair controlled it before technology. As an owner of such a head I would absolutely wear something like this rather than tie it up in tight braids, which hurts after a few days. This is also preferable to fabric or skin covering in warm weather because thick hair is hot, hot, hot! It looks almost as if she has woven the covering right into her hair on the sides. I wonder….

Very interesting and you've done a great job. I look forward to the next one. Really amazing what can be done with nettles!

So interesting. Thank you. 👍🏻

Thank you, Sally, beautifully explained, as per usual, you always make one feel welcome and actually there. Things that goes through one's mind, you verbalise. I love listening to you. You make these complicated things seem possible. Thank you again.

It looks like it could be the base for something much more elaborate, like adding strands to make a wig or adding pearls. It doesn't seem very practical to hold hair in place, unless there were ropes that went under at the nape and wouldn't be featured on a carving. Anyways, it's a fantastic job you did. Some people really have the best dream jobs 😉

Oh my goodness I LOVE this. I'm off to try it straight away with every scrap of whatever I can find laying around thank you so much for again sharing something so wonderful and lovely with us.

Thank you for the video.

Fantastic. Love this❤

Thank you very much, this carving has puzzled me for many years. My original thoughts were some sort of braiding, but now I feel you have made it very clear that it was probably a sort of hairnet or head dress... and of course it raises many questions as to how long such cordage had been going on before 25,000 years ago, including other uses of the craft such as basketry and fish traps. And which came first, the practical application or the ornamental? Also amazed at how much work would be required to get it right, how much practice... and I agree totally with Greg Aldworth about the carver recording this woman and her head dress with such skill, on such a small scale with just a flint knife, like a thumb sized scalpel. Wonderful! Many thanks!

It's so sweet. Well done, it seemed quite fiddly to make.

I love your project! I think it came out very well for a first go. Adding longer cordage on the ends would help make up for not having the size you wanted. The long strands would give the impression of a nice finished look. I would finish the long cordage with either a knot at the end or a decorative wood or bone bead. Plaits would look beautiful also. You could use many things in the cordage as decoration! I’m not up to this step yet, but I am looking forward to trying it. 😊

Amazing work and thank for your great videos!!

Hello, good video friend, thank you for sharing, I’m new friend here

Outstanding!!!!!

I love watching what you do. I must say though that the split screen with the out of focus effect is quite distracting and hard on my eyes.

Very interesting. Thanks Sally.

You’re so clever and you have so much patience, lovely and interesting. Thank you

Thanks Sally, this was very interesting. It very much reminded me of a coif once you were wearing it!

How cool! I think it turned out very nicely. 🤩

Fantastic work...very inspirational to me to start cordage work. Thank you.

I think she wore what you made. And I believe she did so for the same reason we would wear a hair net. Imagine her outdoor and the winds coming from behind or from changing directions. She wouldn't want to have her long (wet) hair beating against her face. Such a cover made from nettles would hold her hair in place or at least out of her face, so she can concentrate on the world around her.

I’ve only just found you and I love what I’ve watched so far. I love both the braids and hood idea, both would be practical for the time and both could be adorned for beauty. I think I’m going to have a go at making the hood as I think it’s rather beautiful.

I really enjoyed this. Thankyou for shareing.

Wonderful job.

love the way it looks and what fun

I think the ends would’ve been tasseled or else worked into the bottom horizontal line to end abruptly rather than knots.

amazing. stunning. thanks for sharing!

This is just great!

I think it turned out well and you looked brilliant in it, you really looked the part, thanks for sharing all ofn your know how!

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Inspired to have a go. Might try it with flax as I have some to hand. Thankyou.

lovely!!

Most likely they soaked the fibers before braiding! I braid long leaf pine needles! From the American South. We soak to get the ends off and to make the leaves pliable. Any organic marital I've woven has always called for soaking before weaving or braiding. It helps control the fibers. Your he'd piece came out beautiful! Good work! If anyone doesn't think it's work there very mistaken! Lol. Thanks for your video! I'm a fan! No! You got it right! I'm wondering if they braided there hair in with it?

thank you so interesting.

how do they know its a woman and not a man I wonder... it seems like it could be just an assumption because of the lack of beard and the long hair, but men could look similarly, especially young men. Great job! it looks amazing

Amazing!!!!

Hello, if you'd be interested in paleolithic era fiber technologies, the Pavlov/Dolní Věstonice site from the gravettien period has some imprints of woven fibers on display. Not sure how well known these are in the wider world, but I'm sure a specialist like you could find out more out of them than me :-)

Hair bound with rows of twining?

Might it be called a fillet hood or fillet cap?

That is really cool.

GOOD WORK

Thank you ☺️