Oldest known sewn hide and other artifacts from Oregon caves shed light on early clothing in harsh climates

In 1958, an amateur archaeologist named John Cowles excavated the Cougar Mountain Cave in Oregon and retained many of the artifacts found there. Upon his death in the 1980s, these items were transferred to the Favell Museum in Klamath Falls. Finally, modern archaeologists are taking a closer look at these items along with a collection from the Paisley Caves, which includes ancient needles, braided cordage, and the oldest piece of sewn material ever found. Their research is now published in Science Advances.