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German archaeologists have found some of the earliest evidence of the use of clothing. A newly discovered cut on a cave bear’s leg suggests that the prehistoric animal was skinned for fur about 300,000 years ago.
The discovery in Schöningen in northern Germany is exciting. Despite the popular depiction of fur-clad cave men and women in his culture, little is known about how early humans covered their bodies and survived the harsh winters.
There is little direct evidence of prehistoric clothing, as furs, leathers, and other organic materials typically do not last longer than 100,000 years.
“This study is important because we know so little about how humans in the distant past protected themselves from the elements. From this early period, we show evidence of bear skinning.” There are only a handful of sites, and Schoeningen provides the most complete picture,” said study author Ivo Verheijen, a doctoral student at the University of Tübingen in Germany.
The cave bear was a large animal, about the size of a polar bear. Extinct about 25,000 years agoThe cave bear’s coat had long outer hairs that formed an airy protective layer and short, dense hairs that provided excellent insulation, making it suitable for making simple clothing and bedding. Journal of Human Evolution December 23rd.
Clothing probably consisted of leather wrapped around the body without elaborate tailoring. 45,000 years ago.
“We found cut marks on parts of the limbs where there was little meat or fat on the bone, which is in opposition to cut marks derived from animal slaughter,” Verheijen explained in an email.
“Conversely, the skin is very close to the bone in these places, so it is inevitable that the bone will be marked when the animal is skinned.”
Schöningen, Germany, where the oldest known wooden weapons were found, including nine throwing javelins, a stabbing spear and two throwing sticks used to kill prey 300,000 years ago most famous for
It is difficult to know exactly when the use of clothing began.
Gene study of lice The clothing louse indicates that it diverged from the human head louse ancestor at least 83,000 years ago and possibly 170,000 years ago, suggesting that humans wore clothing before the mass migration out of Africa. I’m here.
Bone tools found in what is now Morocco are tools that humans used to Processing animal skins from 90,000 to 120,000 years ago.
“In Schoeningen, we found many remains of other animals with cut marks associated with skinning, such as horses and aurochs. The fact that the skin becomes more flexible when it is bruised makes bear skin far more suitable for clothing than other large herbivores.
300,000 years ago, the climate was “nearly the same as it is today,” with average temperatures two degrees warmer and two degrees colder than today, Verheijen added.
