A 12,900-year-old bone needle discovered at the La Preure site in Wyoming, USA, was made from fox bone. rabbit. This could include felines such as bobcats, pumas, lynx, and even the now extinct American cheetah. New research from the University of Wyoming shows that the bones of these animals are sized to make bone needles, remain attached to fur sewn into intricate clothing, and are readily available within campgrounds. It is said to have been used by early Paleoindian gatherers at La Prele.
La Prele Bone Needle and Needle Preform Reconstruction and Comparison Micro-CT Scan of Animal Specimens. Image credit: Pelton others., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313610.
la prele Early Paleoindian mammoth trapping site and campground on a tributary of the North Platte River near Douglas, Wyoming.
Ten seasons of excavation in four major blocks yielded tens of thousands of artifacts related to a single occupation.
Among the wide variety of artifacts recovered from the site so far are fragments of 32 bone needles.
“Our study identifies for the first time the species and possible elements from which Paleoindian people produced bone needles with eyes,” said Wyoming State Archaeologist Spencer Pelton and colleagues.
“Our results provide strong evidence that tailored clothing is produced using bone needles and fur from fur-bearing animals.”
“These garments partially enabled the dispersal of modern humans into northern latitudes and, ultimately, the colonization of the Americas.”
In their study, Dr. Pelton and his colleagues examined bone needle fragments taken from the La Prele site.
The researchers used peptides (short chains of amino acids) obtained from these artifacts to identify animals known to have existed during the Paleoindigenous period, which refers to the prehistoric period of North America between 13,500 and 12,000 years ago. peptide.
As a result of the comparison, it was concluded that the bones of the red fox are bones. Bobcat, puma, lynx, or American cheetah. At La Preure, hares and rabbits were used to make needles.
“Despite the importance of bone needles in explaining the global dispersal of modern humans, archaeologists have not identified the materials used to make bone needles, making this important cultural innovation “This limits our understanding of the
Previous research has shown that to cope with the cold temperatures of northern latitudes, humans likely created tailored clothing with tightly sewn seams that provided a barrier against the elements.
There is little direct evidence of such clothing, but there is indirect evidence in the form of bone needles and the bones of fur owners whose fur was used for clothing.
“Wearing such clothing allowed modern humans to extend their range into areas that were previously inaccessible due to the threat of hypothermia and death from exposure. '' said the scientists.
“How did the people of La Prele Ruins obtain fur-bearing animals?
“It was probably a trap, not necessarily looking for food.”
“Our results are a reminder that foragers used animal foods for a wide range of non-subsistence purposes, and that the mere presence of animal bones at an archaeological site need not indicate a diet. ”
“Combined with a review of comparable evidence from other North American Paleoindian sites, our results suggest that early Paleoindians of North America had direct access to fur-bearing predators, probably by traps, and that It represents some of the most detailed evidence ever discovered regarding Indian clothing.
of findings Published in a magazine PLoS ONE.
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SR Pelton others. 2024. Early Paleoindians used canids, felines, and hares to produce bone needles at the La Prele site in Wyoming, USA. PLoS ONE 19 (11): e0313610;doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313610
Source: www.sci.news
