Humans may have started making clothes 120,000 years ago, scientists say

Humans may have started making clothes 120,000 years ago, scientists say
Humans may have started making clothes 120,000 years ago, scientists say
Old fashioned! Humans may have started making clothes 120,000 YEARS ago, scientists say as they discover ancient bone tools in a Moroccan cave that were used to work leather and fur into garments Our early ancestors could have started making clothes up to 120,000 years ago Archaeologists have found evidence of ancient bone tools in a Moroccan cave It's thought Homo sapiens first began wearing clothes around 170,000 years ago But this is earliest example of use of tools to work leather and fur into garments

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When it comes to keeping up with the latest fashion, it appears modern humans may have got an earlier start than most scientists had anticipated.

That's because a new study suggests our early ancestors could have started making clothes using bone tools up to 120,000 years ago. 

Although it is estimated that Homo sapiens first began wearing garments around 170,000 years ago, it wasn't until 50,000 years later that making them got a little more sophisticated. 

Archaeologists have discovered ancient bone tools in a Moroccan cave that they believe were used to work leather and fur into garments between 90,000 and 120,000 years ago.

However, previous research indicates that it wasn't until 40,000 years ago that humans began making more fitted clothes using a needle and thread. 

Archaeologists have discovered ancient bone tools (pictured) in a Moroccan cave that they think were used to work leather and fur into garments between 90,000 and 120,000 years ago

Archaeologists have discovered ancient bone tools (pictured) in a Moroccan cave that they think were used to work leather and fur into garments between 90,000 and 120,000 years ago

This graphic shows how scientists think early humans broke bones to use as tools on clothes

This graphic shows how scientists think early humans broke bones to use as tools on clothes

WHEN DID HUMANS START USING TOOLS? 

It is hard for scientists to say precisely when humans started making tools because the more primitive remains look like a natural object rather than a human artefact.

The oldest-known instruments are the Oldowan stone tools from Ethiopia, which date back about 2.6 million years.

The Acheulean tool technology period - up to 1.76 million years ago - featured large stone hand axes made from flint and quartzite.

Towards the end of this period, the tools became more refined and then followed the so-called Levallois technique, which saw the creation of scrapers, slicers, needled and flattened needles.

About 50,000 years ago more refined and specialised flint tools were made and used by Neanderthals and it is believed it was at this stage tools were constructed out of bone.

As human culture advanced, artefacts such as fish hooks, buttons and bone needles were used. 

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'These bone tools have shaping and use marks that indicate they were used for scraping hides to make leather and for scraping pelts to make fur,' said Emily Hallett, of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany. 

'At the same time, I found a pattern of cut marks on the carnivore bones from Contrebandiers Cave that suggested that humans were not processing carnivores for meat but were instead skinning them for their fur.' 

Clothing made of fur and hides likely played an important role in the ability of early humans to move into colder parts of the

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