Bow drill

A bow drill is a simple hand-operated type of tool, consisting of a rod (the spindle or drill shaft) that is set in rapid rotary motion by means of a cord wrapped around it, kept taut by a bow which is pushed back and forth with one hand. This tool of prehistoric origin has been used both as a drill, to make holes on solid materials such as wood, stone, or bone, and as a fire drill to start a fire.

The spindle can be held into a fixed frame, or by a hand-held block (the hand piece or thimble) with a hole into which the top of the shaft is inserted. Some lubricant should be used to reduce friction between these two parts, otherwise, it could lead to some trouble when doing it too fast. In Pakistan it has been dated between the 5th–4th millenniums BCE.

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