Eyed needs from the last Ice Age Photo: Supplied
Dr Ian Gilligan - University of Sydney Photo: Supplied
Researchers at the University of Sydney are suggesting eyed needles were used to adorn clothing for social and cultural purposes, marking the shift from clothing being used as a necessity for protection to expressing identity.
Eyed needles are the most iconic of Paleolithic artefacts from the Stone Age and the earliest appeared in Siberia around 40,000 years ago. Previously bone awls - sharpened animal bones which resemble daggers, were used to create fitted clothing.
The team, led by archeologist, Dr Ian Gilligan at the University of Sydney, says the advent of eyed needles allowed for more delicate sewing and intricate designs, leading to more complex and layered clothing. Clothes then evolved to be more decorative with beads with beads and small items. Multi-layered garments would have contributed to humans being able to travel into colder climates and forming more complex communities.
Dr Gilligan and his team also argue clothing became a way to decorate the body, replacing body painting, as part of Eurasia became colder during the last ice age. People needed to wear clothes to stay warm and survive.
Dr Ian Gilligan spoke to Culture 101 about reinterpreting recent evidence and understanding the transition of clothing from utilitarian to social purposes.
