A collaborative effort by a team of 13 archaeologists and scientists from Oregon and Nevada has led to the remarkable dating of a collection of animal hide garments to the Late Pleistocene era, making it the oldest known sewn clothing in existence.
The meticulously stitched hides were first unearthed in 1958 by amateur archaeologist John Cowles at Cougar Mountain Cave in western Oregon, alongside various artifacts such as braided cords and knotted bark. These findings remained in Cowles' possession until his passing in the 1980s, after which they were donated to the Favell Museum in Klamath Falls, Oregon, known for its collection of Indigenous artifacts and contemporary art. Some items analyzed in the study, including wooden and fiber artifacts, were also discovered in the nearby Paisley Cave.
The research team employed radiocarbon dating and Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) to accurately date 55 objects, including hides and bone needles, to the Younger Dryas period, which spanned from approximately 12,900 to 11,700 years ago. This era was characterized by a return to glacial conditions, prompting advancements in clothing technology.
The authors of the study emphasized that these "well-dated and rare perishable assemblages" found in both caves highlight the intricate technological capabilities of Late Pleistocene populations, offering new insights into early human lifestyles in the Western Hemisphere.
Richard Rosencrance, a PhD student at the University of Nevada, Reno, and one of the study's authors, remarked that while the concept of animal hide clothing from this time is not novel, the specifics of its appearance and construction had remained elusive until now. He noted, "They were accomplished and serious sewists during the Ice Age."
