Eventually the backstrap loom was developed, and not only was it easy to transport, it was simple to construct. One end of the loom was attached to a fixed point, like a tree trunk, and the other was attached to a rod, which was held in place with a cord that passed around the waist of the weaver. By leaning back against the waist cord, the weaver could put tension on the warp threads and adjust tautness at will. Click here to view a diagram of a backstrap loom.
Not only could the loom have shed sticks, it could also be fashioned with the slot-and-eye heddle system, a significant step in loom evolution. This tool not only gives two clear sheds, it also acts as the beater, pushing weft threads into place. Clearly, the heddle system was used on looms types other than the backstrap, but once again, we have no way of knowing exactly when this tool was used for the first time.
The backstrap loom is still used today by Native Americans in the southwestern part of the United States and by people in Central America and Mexico. The loom is limited in complexity only by the skill of the weaver, and the entire loom with the weaving in progress can be rolled up at any time and carried from place to place.
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