Ancient Oregon Find Reveals World's Oldest Sewn Clothing

Pieces of animal hide stitched with plant and animal cords, discovered in an Oregon cave, may represent the world's oldest known sewn clothing, dating back approximately 12,000 years to the last ice age. Researchers suggest the sewn hide is likely a fragment of clothing or footwear, making it the only known item of clothing recovered from the Pleistocene era to date. The study, published February 4 in Science Advances, provides the first dating for these artifacts, initially discovered by an amateur archaeologist in 1958.

Dating the Discovery

Fifty-five pieces of crafted animal and plant materials, including sewn hide, cords, and twine, from two Oregon caves were dated to the Younger Dryas period (12,900 to 11,700 years ago). This discovery indicates that Indigenous people in North America used complex technology with perishable materials to create tight-fitting clothing, offering greater warmth than simple draped hides during cold periods.

Study lead author Richard Rosencrance noted that these individuals were skilled sewists during the Ice Age. Clothing, alongside other warming technologies, was crucial for sustained habitation in northern latitudes, including parts of North America. The perishable nature of such materials means they are rarely preserved.

Technology and Craftsmanship

Archaeologists previously found large collections of Late Pleistocene perishable tools in Oregon's Cougar Mountain Cave and Paisley Caves, including 37 fiber cords, baskets, knots, 15 wooden implements, and three sewn hides. Radiocarbon dating confirmed these artifacts date to the Younger Dryas. The cords, braided from sagebrush, dogbane, juniper, and bitterbrush fibers, ranged in width from 0.13 to 1 inch, suggesting diverse uses.

The three processed and dehaired animal hide pieces, sewn with plant fiber and animal hair cords, date between 12,600 and 11,880 years ago. Chemical analysis identified the hides as originating from North American elk.

Fourteen eyed and three eyeless bone needles, along with four potential ornamental items (including a porcupine tooth), were also examined from various nearby sites. The presence of these needles and adornments suggests that clothing served both as a survival technology and a means of expression and identity for Pleistocene peoples in the Americas.

Climate's Impact on Clothing

Eyed bone needles disappeared from the archaeological record in Oregon after approximately 11,700 years ago, indicating that tight-fitting clothing became less critical as the climate warmed.