Oldest Sewn Hides Found in Oregon Cave, 12,400 Years Old

Archaeologists have uncovered the oldest known physical remains of sewn animal hides, dating back approximately 12,400 years to the end of the last Ice Age, in a cave in south-central Oregon. The two small fragments of elk hide, stitched together with cordage made from plant fibers and animal hair, were found among a cache of perishable artifacts in Cougar Mountain Cave near Fort Rock. This discovery, detailed in a recent study, provides rare evidence of advanced crafting techniques used by early inhabitants of North America during a period of intense cold.

The hides, along with 53 other items including bone needles, wooden tools, and braided fibers, were originally excavated in the 1950s by amateur archaeologist John Cowles from Cougar Mountain Cave and the nearby Paisley Caves. Cowles retained the collection until his death in the 1980s, after which it was transferred to the Favell Museum in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Oregon re-examined the artifacts using radiocarbon dating and Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry, confirming their age between 12,060 and 12,620 years ago. This places them in the Younger Dryas,...