News Archaeology

The world’s oldest piece of clothing might be an Ice Age–era hide from Oregon

Sewn-together fragments were preserved in a desert cave for more than 12,000 years

two grayish brown fragments of elk hide and a rustic fiber cord are shown against a black background.

The oldest sewn object (both sides shown, left) consists of two pieces of hide joined at the top with a piece of cord made from twisted fibers (right).

R. Rosencrance et al/Science Advances 2026

By Tom Metcalfe

This is a human-written story voiced by AI.