Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – A significant archaeological site in Wyoming, where early humans either hunted or scavenged a Columbian mammoth nearly 13,000 years ago, has yielded another important discovery.
Research led by Wyoming State Archaeologist Spencer Pelton and his colleagues from the University of Wyoming and other institutions reveals that these Paleolithic inhabitants crafted needles from the bones of fur-bearing animals such as foxes, hares or rabbits, and felines like bobcats, mountain lions, lynx, and possibly even the extinct American cheetah. These needles were likely used to sew garments from animal furs to provide warmth for these early foragers in a cooler climate.
Background: An aerial view of the LaPrele archaeological site near Douglas, Wyoming. Credit: Todd Surovell. Front: An eyed needle made from the bone of a red fox found at the LaPrele archaeological site in Wyoming’s Converse County. Credit: Todd Surovell – Image compilation: AncientPages.com
“Our study is the first to identify the species and likely elements from which Paleoindians produced eyed bone needles,” the researchers wrote in their study published in the journal PLOS ONE. “Our results are strong evidence for tailored garment production using bone needles and fur-bearing animal pelts. These garments partially enabled modern human dispersal to northern latitudes and eventually enabled colonization of the Americas.”
The LaPrele site in Converse County serves as an important archaeological location, preserving the remains of a sub-adult mammoth that was either killed or scavenged. This site also includes evidence of a camp that was occupied during the period when the mammoth was butchered nearly 13,000 years ago. Led by Professor Todd Surovell from the University of Wyoming’s Department of Anthropology, the excavation uncovered significant artifacts, including a bead crafted from hare bone. This bead is notable for being the oldest known bead discovered in the Americas.
The origins of both the bone bead and bone needles were identified using zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) and Micro-CT scanning. Researchers extracted collagen from the artifacts to analyze their chemical composition.
They studied 32 bone needle fragments from the LaPrele Mammoth site, comparing peptides—short chains of amino acids—from these artifacts with those of animals known to have lived during the Early Paleoindian period, a prehistoric era in North America between 13,500 and 12,000 years ago. The analysis revealed that bones from red foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, lynx or American cheetah, and hares or rabbits were used to create needles at the LaPrele site. This marks the first time such an analysis has been conducted.
“Despite the importance of bone needles to explaining global modern human dispersal, archaeologists have never identified the materials used to produce them, thus limiting understanding of this important cultural innovation,” the researchers wrote.
Previous research indicates that to adapt to cold temperatures in northern latitudes, humans likely developed tailored garments with tightly stitched seams, which served as a protective barrier against harsh weather conditions. Although direct evidence of these garments is scarce, indirect evidence exists through the discovery of bone needles and the remains of fur-bearing animals whose pelts were utilized in clothing production.
“Once equipped with such garments, modern humans had the capacity to expand their range to places from which they were previously excluded due to the threat of hypothermia or death from exposure,” Pelton and his colleagues wrote.
How did the people at the LaPrele site obtain the fur-bearing animals? Pelton and his colleagues say it was likely through trapping—and not necessarily in pursuit of food.
“Our results are a good reminder that foragers use animal products for a wide range of purposes other than subsistence, and that the mere presence of animal bones in an archaeological site need not be indicative of diet,” the researchers conclude.
La Prele bone bead showing polished ends (upper) and side view with incisions (lower). Credit: Todd Surovell
“Combined with a review of comparable evidence from other North American Paleoindian sites, our results suggest that North American Early Paleoindians had direct access to fur-bearing predators, likely from trapping, and represent some of the most detailed evidence yet discovered for Paleoindian garments.”
“Once equipped with such garments, modern humans had the capacity to expand their range to places from which they were previously excluded due to the threat of hypothermia or death from exposure,” Pelton and his colleagues wrote.
How did the people at the LaPrele site obtain the fur-bearing animals? Pelton and his colleagues say it was likely through trapping—and not necessarily in pursuit of food.
“Our results are a good reminder that foragers use animal products for a wide range of purposes other than subsistence, and that the mere presence of animal bones in an archaeological site need not be indicative of diet,” the researchers conclude.
See also: More Archaeology News
“Combined with a review of comparable evidence from other North American Paleoindian sites, our results suggest that North American Early Paleoindians had direct access to fur-bearing predators, likely from trapping, and represent some of the most detailed evidence yet discovered for Paleoindian garments.”
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
