Later refinements included an iron collar which was drawn backwards to asphyxiate the victim, or a leather strap which held the head in position as a sharpened screw bored into the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord.
Garrotte
Used in various forms to execute criminals and heretics, the simplest form consisted of an upright plank with a hole drilled through containing a rope which would be pulled to choke the victim to death.
Trivia & Comment
The term garrotte was perhaps derived from the Old French word for 'cudgel' - the wooden bar that was originally used to twist and tighten the rope around the neck.