In many traditional cultures, bark beaters were tools used to pound tree bark, to make the bark softer for the processing of barkcloth, which is used for making paper, and clothing. This tool has many different variations that are seen in indigenous cultures worldwide, yet all for a similar purpose.

History

“In

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

, the earliest proven bark beaters are from the

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...

area and its periphery, particularly the Pacific coastal plain of

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

and

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

, where they appear some 2,500 years ago.” Both forms of bark beaters (club-shaped, and racquet type) were also found in the islands of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. These date back to several hundred years earlier than those in

, but the dating there is less secure as those islands were some of the last on Earth to be settled. Another reason it is so difficult to determine when bark beaters first began to be used to make bark cloth is because bark is biodegradable, and does not last long – especially in hot, tropical climates. Many bark processing tools were also made out of wood, making it difficult to determine for the same reasons.

Composition and use

They vary in size, shapes, and materials. Some of the materials include

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, wood, ground stone, and certain sea shells (i.e. scallop shells). They are carved with parallel striations. Some bark beaters have long handles, while others have an encircling groove around the side for hafting so it fits easily in one's hand {{cite web, last=World Museum of Man , title=Pre-Columbian Mayan Collection: Mayan Stone Bark Beater , url=http://worldmuseumofman.org/display.php?item=964 , accessdate=27 November 2011 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426005128/http://worldmuseumofman.org/display.php?item=964 , archivedate=26 April 2012 "I have recorded some 140 uses of the product, such as mats, blankets, bags, various items of clothing, shrouds, banners, and of course, writing paper.” Says Professor Paul Tolstoy of Montreal, Canada. The Maya used bark paper not only to write on, but also for ceremonial clothing, fans, and many others. Early records show that the

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

city in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Tenochtitlan , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

, they used to produce 42,000 packets of paper annually to be paid in tributes.

Process

There has been approximately 300 variable features determined in the steps that go into producing barkcloth. They include such elements as the cultivation or care of trees used for their bark; ways of getting at the desired bast layer. Barkcloth, or paper is a layer of inner bark taken from a tree (mostly of the

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

family). Once taken, the bark beater is used to widen, thin, and make the cloth flexible. Sometimes the bark beater is used in combination of other techniques, such as soaking the cloth in water.

References

Mesoamerica