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Update

Breaking the Line: Reflecting on Strengths & Weaknesses

The end of this project is quickly approaching, and we have our poster presentations on Monday! Time really flew by with this one. I think I speak on behalf of our entire group when I say that none of us have worked on a project quite like this, and I, for one, have enjoyed it, especially the creative aspect of it.

Strengths:

During our project’s testing stage, we discovered some unlikely outcomes (the horsehair was significantly less strong than we expected). Despite this, we adapted our project to test for the compounding variable – ‘Variable P’ (the urine on the female horsehair). On very short notice, Anuk was able to procure some male horsehair for testing, which Variable P would not have affected. The testing results revealed the male horsehair was actually able to hold less weight than the female horsehair. Nonetheless, testing the male horse hair as well, improved the reliability of our project.

Overall the project was very cost effective, as the only items we needed to purchase were the hemp, linen and luggage weight. And once we acquired all of our materials members of our group showed a special aptitude for braiding!

Cooper getting creative with braiding methods.

Weaknesses:

None of our group members have fishing experience, which was an added challenge when learning about everything to do with fishing. There was also the challenge of taking modern-day materials and trying to compare it with those that would have been used in a medieval context.

Moreover, fishing line is archaeologically invisible due to its poor preservation, so we had to rely on heavily medieval texts to help us develop our methodology. Some of the texts we were using come from a freshwater context, so a limitation of or project is that we had to extrapolate and make some assumptions about how the materials would perform in a salt water context because we were testing the lines after they were soaked in salt water.

One of the primary texts we used to guide our study was A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, which also outlined a dying technique that would have been used for horsehair fishing line. However, we chose not to integrate dying into the project as it would have been beyond the scope of what we could accomplish within the timeframe of this project. Further research to understand the affect of dying in the process of fishing line production could be an intriguing area of study in the future.

Our hemp (left), female horsehair (middle), and linen (right) braids.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, the project went fairly smoothly except for some of the unexpected results during the testing stage, which prompted us to add another type of fishing line (the male horsehair). Nonetheless, seeing which of our hypotheses were proven right and wrong was exciting. During the progression of our project, we gained insight into the time, effort and skill that would have been required to make the fishing lines used during the medieval period.

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Update

Testing at the End of the Line

It’s been a while since our last update from the field of Fysshynge, but we’ve made some exciting progress. Following a successful first round of testing in an unlikely lab setting, we embarked on an unforeseen second session in hopes of answering a nagging question about horse tail hairs and a confounding factor we have dubbed “Variable P.” Ultimately, we only ended up with a host more questions, but such is research.

The First Tests

With no suitable lab space in sight, we instead set ourselves up in the old McKinnon Gym. We were all glad to put our athletics fees to good use for once. Our testing station consisted of a dual cable machine, which comprises a pair of cables that run through several pulleys to two adjustable weight stacks. This machine is usually intended for exercises such as tricep pushdowns and “flys,” but today it will act as our counterweight.

Ainsley showing off our highly sophisticated weight testing apparatus at the McKinnon Gym.

Our testing method was straightforward: we attached the upper ring of the spring scale to the cable via carabiner and tied a length of fishing line to the hook on the scale’s base. We then tied the base of the fishing line around another carabiner and hung the weights from this carabiner using a weight bearing fabric “cradle.” Starting out with a 5 lb (2.3 kg) weight, we then increased the weight in 5 lb increments until the line broke or until it exceeded the machine’s maximum counterweight of 95 lbs (43 kg). Our results for the hemp and linen lines were quite impressive, but we ran into trouble with the horse tail lines.

Trouble with Tails

During our first round of testing, we noticed a puzzling discrepancy: despite her noble breed, Golosa’s gorgeous white tail hair was holding up quite poorly compared to our other materials. This didn’t seem to accord with what A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle told us about the line weights required to catch fish of various sizes. Supposedly, a line of 15 total strands like the ones that we had constructed should have been able to hold an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), which often reach weights upwards of 5 kg and as much as 13 kg (NOAA Fisheries, n.d.). And yet the lines we had made using the technique outlined in the Treatyse were breaking at less than 4.5 kg. In contrast, our linen and hemp lines consistently held weights upward of 25 kg before snapping.

What could be causing this unforeseen weakness? On reviewing our source, we noted that the tail hair of male horses was preferred. This preference resulted from a concern over the position of the female horse’s urethra, which would supposedly wet the tail with urine that could break down the fibers. We set out to test this confounding variable, which we have designated Variable P.

Two friends share some time in the tall grass. The larger black-brown horse standing at the left is Bandit.

Anuk’s family kindly supplied us with the tail hairs of Bandit, an American Quarter Horse who passed away in 2020. Though black and thus unsuited for the dying technique outlined in the Treatyse, Bandit’s tail hairs were assumed not to be impacted by Variable P. Using the same technique that we applied with Golosa’s hair, we constructed several lines from Bandit’s, making sure to submerge them in salt water until saturated. We then set about testing them with much anticipation. To our surprise, we found that the male horse’s tail hairs were breaking at roughly the same weight as the female’s had (below 4.5 kg). Clearly, some other confounding factor was ahoof here.

More Nagging Questions

Our second set of tests confirmed one thing: the sex of the horse and the associated issue of urine breaking down the hairs is likely not the cause of our weak horse-hair lines. But a host of other questions are as yet unanswered. For example, while the Treatyse outlines the use of horsehair lines for a primarily freshwater sport, we saturated the lines in salt water to emulate a marine environment; might the horse hair line hold more weight when saturated with freshwater? We also note that while every effort was made to ensure that the fishing lines were of a similar thickness, the varying materials made this difficult. To what extent could the thickness of each line affect its weight capacity, and how could further research compare this variable across multiple materials? These and other questions will have to wait for another study, as our time to present our findings draws near.

Additional References

NOAA Fisheries. (n.d.). Atlantic salmon (protected). https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-salmon-protected.

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Update

The Braiding Bunch: Defining Variables & Trimming the Fat

I can’t believe how quickly this project is flying by! We had our first big work session as a team this past Wednesday, and managed to really narrow down what specifically our project should be about and how exactly we will be going about it.

Key Decisions Made

During our recent meeting, we reached several important decisions that will shape our experiment:

  • Cordage Technique: Chris showed us a source that described how horsehair was braided for use as fishing line in the Middle Ages. It is the only source we have found that so directly details how fishing line was made, so we are using it as our Holy Text. We were initially going to use the cordage techniques taught to us by Kimberly Nelson, but decided that we should braid all of our materials using the same technique for the sake of consistency.
  • Simplifying Variables: We decided to avoid testing different plies of fishing line. This choice allows us to increase our sample size, enhancing the reliability of our findings, even though it reduces the complexity of our experiment.
  • Focusing on Atlantic Cod: To maintain a more focused approach, we will only consider the Atlantic Cod for our tests. This species was chosen because it’s the larger of the two we were considering, so if one of our fishing lines could theoretically catch an Atlantic cod, then we can assume it could catch hake with ease as well. Additionally, cod played a larger role in the fishing industry at the time.
  • Defining Variables: We clarified that we will not be testing tensile strength, as we do not have the means to. We will be conducting pound-tests which are achievable with the materials we have on hand.

Learning and Preparations

Anuk brought all the materials he had gathered, and we quickly got up close and personal with them. Ainsley shared her expertise in braiding, teaching Chris and I how to correctly braid our lines. We’ve each taken some materials to braid lines individually, so we wanted to make sure we were all doing it correctly before going our separate ways. This preparatory work sets us up for a collaborative effort during reading week, where we’ll conduct our main experiment. We also tracked down a spring scale that has a high enough weight capacity to be useful for our experiment, landing on one that can measure up to 400 lbs.

Ainsley showing off her next-level braiding skills.

Contemplating Outcomes

An intriguing aspect of our discussion revolved around potential outcomes. We pondered the scenario where none of the fishing lines snap during our tests. If this happens, it might suggest that the strength of the material played a less significant role in its selection during the Middle Ages. Instead, the availability of materials might have been a more critical factor. It was reassuring to consider this outcome, as after making a few short lengths of fishing line and pulling on them, they seemed very strong, so the above situation is a very real possibility.

Moving Forward

As we progress, we’re excited to see how our fishing lines turn out, and how they fare against each other. We decided that we want to have all testing completed by the time reading week is finished to give us a solid two weeks to work on our poster and exhibition. Stay tuned for more updates as we delve deeper into the world of medieval fishing line!

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Update

Acquiring our Materials

Before we can start testing the strengths and weaknesses of different types of medieval fishing line, we have to source our materials. As we mentioned in our introduction and proposal, the three materials we decided to test as fishing line were linen, hemp, and horsehair.

We had hoped to be able to find the hemp and linen together at a yarn store locally, but unfortunately none of the shops we visited had any 100% hemp in stock, only blends, and we did not want to use blended material for authenticity and repeatability reasons. Therefore we ordered the hemp from Sanjo Silk, a weaving studio on Granville Island in Vancouver for around 12 dollars after tax and shipping. The hemp from Sanjo Silk is described as hand-spun, start to finish, by a handwork group in Nepal, and underwent minimal processing according to their website. The hope was that aside from harvesting it ourselves, this would be one of the most natural and authentic options that would at least to some extent reflect how hemp was harvested and spun in medieval Europe.

We were able to find linen at Beehive Wool Shop in downtown Victoria, and purchased one white linen yarn for approximately 10 dollars. The medieval source A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle mentions how materials such as white horsehair would often be dyed in its use as fishing line, so we decided to to go with white linen as well. The amount of linen and hemp we bought should hopefully be plenty for our experiment, but we can always acquire more as we need. The materials are shown in the image below, displaying the linen, horsehair, and hemp, respectively, from left to right.

The three materials from left to right: linen, horsehair, hemp

The horsehair was the first material we acquired and deserves a spotlight. It was taken from the tail of a white Andalusian mare, which is a very interesting breed choice for our purposes. The Andalusian, also more officially known as the Purebred Spanish Horse (PRE), was recognized as a distinct breed as early as the 15th century and is an important horse breed in European history for several reasons.

Firstly, it is descended from the long lineages of Iberian horse breeds, particularly from the region of Andalusia, which were used since before Roman occupation of the Iberian peninsula as warhorses due to their strong builds and easy-going nature. According to the US Equestrian Federation, it is one of the oldest known horse breeds (USEF, 2023). The breed emerged out of the ubiquitous Iberian warhorses of the medieval period, becoming a recognized breed by the 15th century. The same traits that made it such an effective cavalry horse also made it very popular for centuries among European nobility, and this role as a prized noble horse was the precursor to the modern usage of the Pure Spanish Horse, which is typically for competing in Dressage events. The official page of the Andalusian horse on the United States Equestrian Federation website refers to it as the “Horse of Kings” (United States Equestrian Federation, 2023). With their long tails and beautiful manes, they are also often used for parades and display purposes.

The horse whose hair is being used for this experiment is a sixteen year old white Andalusian mare named Golosa (Spanish for sweet tooth), who competes in Dressage events on Vancouver Island and spends her days exploring trails and eating her favourite snacks at her home in Metchosin, B.C., Canada.

Golosa eating grass in the sun after returning from an event.

Of course, the average medieval fisherman would almost certainly not be using line made from the hair of a breed of horse usually reserved for use by nobility. Nevertheless, it is an authentic medieval horse breed with white tail hair, which is what was often used — after being dyed a different colour– for fishing line according to the source A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle. As shown in the two images above, Golosa has quite a thick tail and therefore we did not need to take very much of it in order to have a significant amount of hair.

United States Equestrian Federation. (2023) Andalusian/Lusitano. https://www.usef.org/compete/breeds/andalusian-lusitano

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