<< Feature Articles >> How prehistoric people packed their bags? Plus some modern travel tips
Submitted by Elena on Monday, 25 September 2017 Page Views: 3536
Resources One of our series of travel articles for the ancient site enthusiast - first, what sort of bags did prehistoric people use to pack and carry things for travel? From Dartmoor to Kentucky and Jordan, evidence of prehistoric bags has been found all over the world. And a look at some packing tips for modern travellers.The "rare and amazing" burial dating back 4,000 years on Whitehorse Hill has been described as the most significant ever find on Dartmoor, giving a glimpse into the lives of the people who once lived there. You can read more details here, but amongst the grave goods excavated was an animal pelt, a textile fragment with leather fringing and a delicate woven bag. The bag contained shale disc beads, amber spherical beads and a circular textile band.
The Webb Museum in Kentucky has several prehistoric bags excavated from local rock shelters. They are in varying degrees of completeness, but together show how their prehistoric bags were constructed. One is larger fragment of is a large tote-style bag, much like the kind you find at Ikea! You can read about ancient textiles expert Chris Pappas' reconstruction efforts here
[Image Left - this ancient bag-carrying spirit doesn't need air travel - just look at those wings!] Sometime around 14,000 years ago, a wicker or leather bag was left by the side of a stone round house in Jordan, and although the bag itself has long since perished its contents lay untouched awaiting discovery. The findings were published in the journal Antiquity.
[Image Right - the fragment of a tote-style bag found in Kentucky - Credit: Webb Museum of Anthropology]
The tools consisted of a sickle for harvesting wild cereals, a cluster of flint spearheads, a larger piece of flint and a big stone (perhaps for striking more spearheads from the large flint). Also included in the tool kit was a set of small, rounded pebbles, perhaps sling shots, a cluster of gazelle toe bones (probably for decoration) and part of a second bone tool. More details here.
Fast forward to today, and everyone knows that when it comes to packing bags, it pays to be on top of things. Packing well saves time, money and a whole lot of stress when you get to your destination. But being organised is easier said than done.
Packing: a Daunting Prospect
It’s all very exciting when you have a holiday booked. Especially when you’re just about to depart.
Going on holiday, you know how it goes - admin jobs out the way: check in online, travel insurance, visa if needed and exchanged your currency. Now, just one daunting task remains.
Packing!
Yes, packing… Nobody enjoys this bothersome chore; nobody revels in the notion of it. Worst of all, most of us leave it until the last minute.This leaves little time to organise your things and get ready. Truth be told, it can leave you feeling exasperated.
Given that airlines add extra costs for hold baggage - clever packing for hand luggage is particularly important. To help, useful tools like this Cabin Luggage Study, created by Global Luggage, match which airlines’ size and weight restrictions your hand luggage complies with.
For more general advice on the rigmarole of luggage preparation, here are 5 ‘packing hacks.’ Whether you are planning a weekend city break, business trip or two-week beach holiday, here are our tips for stress-free packing.
1. Make a List
This may sound obvious, but making a list of the essential items you need, prior to packing, is the best way to get yourself organised. You can check things off as you go along and this will put your mind at ease when you come to leave:
Passport? Check. Boarding passes? Check. Favourite teddy? Oh dear… looks like he's going to have to stay at home.
For added peace of mind, refer to Skyscanner’s Essential Packing List to get you started.
2. Weigh Your Luggage
Luggage scales are a great way to reassure you before you travel. If you arrive at the airport to be told that your suitcase is too heavy to comply with your airline’s weight restrictions, you’ll incur extra costs and perhaps even have to check in a new bag.
To prevent extra costs, invest in some luggage scales. It's a good idea to take the scales with you so that you can weigh your bag for the return journey - it’s likely it will have increased due to all those ancient site souvenirs and random bits of rock you have probably picked up.
Consider wearing some of the heavier items rather than squeezing them into your case, eg your heaviest shoes or jackets.
3. Roll, Don’t Fold
The last thing you want is to get to your destination and be faced with a pile of scrunched up clothes. To save space and stop creasing, roll up your clothes instead of folding them. This will save loads of space in your bag (especially useful if you are travelling light) and it prevents creases more effectively than folding. This technique works particularly well with lightweight clothing such as T-shirts and casual trousers.
4. Stay Fresh
There’s nothing worse than arriving at your perfect holiday destination, only to find that all your clothes have got that awful ‘suitcase smell’. Especially prevalent after long haul flights, this odour seeps into your clothes, after they have been trapped in your luggage for several hours, making you self-conscious about wearing them. Not a great start to a holiday!
To avoid this, line your suitcase with fabric conditioner sheets or scented drawer liners, or pack a small bag of lavender or potpourri.
5. Use Zip Lock Bags and Cling-Film for Toiletries
The infamous burst shampoo or shower gel disaster: we all know the feeling! You open up your luggage and you’re met with a whiff of perfume, only to discover that the contents of your entire bag are coated in a thick, gooey layer of shampoo - Yuck! [Photo Credit CC Jack Kennard]
The best way to safeguard against this is to pack all your toiletries in zip lock, plastic bags. (You’ll need to do this, anyway if you are travelling with only hand luggage.)
To be even safer, take the lids off the bottles and add a layer of cling film to the neck of the container before replacing the lid. Use clear tape to seal the gap where the lid joins the container. Now you can travel without the worry of unwanted spillages!
Thanks to these tips, you should be a packing maestro! We hope these packing hacks were useful and they help you prepare for your next trip, and spare a thought for prehistoric travellers and how they might have packed their bags...
This article was kindly supported by Skyscanner - happy packing!
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