5 world-famous things that the Chukchi invented
For many of us, the Chukchi are simple-minded heroes of anecdotes, engaged exclusively in reindeer husbandry and hunting and far from the benefits of civilization. At the same time, few people know that the real indigenous people of Chukotka were brave and skilled warriors who repeatedly put to flight stronger and better-armed enemies. Even less is known that they invented several objects in ancient times, which are now used all over the world.
Today, most Chukchis have the opportunity to enjoy all the achievements of science and technology. But once, literally a century ago, most of them didn't have access to basic things like firearms and soap. These people constantly fought for their existence with the harsh forces of northern nature and were forced to show enviable ingenuity. This is how these things appeared, which became an indispensable attribute of civilization.
Modern fashionistas and fashionistas can not imagine life without sunglasses. This accessory is strongly associated with a holiday by the sea or ski resorts. Glasses that protect from the sun appeared for the first time among the northern peoples as a response to the blinding sun, the effect of which was enhanced by the snow that covers the North for most of the year.
Scientists-ethnographers say that the sun glasses created by the Chukchi centuries ago were very different from modern ones. Tanned deerskin or bone was used as the material for the "frame", and you had to look not through the glass, but through thin panoramic slits.
Surprisingly, the sun visor, which today has become an important part of summer hats, was invented by the Chukchi in ancient times. Like sunglasses, this accessory protected the eyes of reindeer herders, hunters and fishermen from the sun's rays and helped them to peer into the endless tundra and sea distances.
The visors were made of deerskin or bone and fastened over the caps and hoods with strings. High-quality products were highly valued among the northerners-historical sources describe cases when a masterfully made sun visor was changed to... a woman.
Plastic tubes, through which we used to drink cocktails, also appeared thanks to the Chukchi. Only the inhabitants of the north used them not at parties,but in everyday life and forced. Heavy frosts make drinking from metal, bone and wooden dishes very difficult, as the lips stick to the edge of the cup. To solve the problem, the ancient Chukchi came up with the idea of using thin tubular bones of birds for drinking.
Chukchi women, in order to provide their babies with decent care, had to show enviable ingenuity. The lack of the ability to change clothes and bathe children when necessary led to the appearance of such a historical object as a diaper.
This simple but effective ancestor of the modern diaper was made from a special natural material, which was based on moss, deer hair and wood shavings. Chukchi diapers were a two-layer leather bag with slits for the head, hands and feet of the child, between the walls of which the absorbent material was placed. In the lower part of it, a detachable valve was made, through which it was possible to replace a dirty diaper.
Beloved by millions of tourists and travelers, the jacket that is worn over the head is the only invention of the inhabitants of the Far North that has retained its original name. Such jackets without fasteners with a hood were used by the Chukchi and Eskimos for fishing and hunting sea animals.
Initially, the anorak was sewn from the skin of a seal or a large fish, and in the sleeves and hem, instead of elastic bands, strings were inserted from the animal's veins. The jacket did not let in moisture and snow, and also protected from cold and damp sea winds. Modern anoraks bear little resemblance to the original, but retain their basic principles.
Keywords: Peoples | Snow | Peace | Frost | Invention | Hunting | Far north | Chukchi