Humans Are the Only Animal that Wears Clothes

How far back does our relationship with clothing go?

Hiya!

Animal research has shown us that humans are far less different from other species than we thought. And while the list of our differences is shrinking, some things remain uniquely Human. For instance, we are the only animals to cover our bodies in clothing.

Why? Why did our ancestors decide to make clothes to begin with? And when did they start? Aside from crediting our Human intelligence, these questions have mostly been left unanswered, and for good reason: most clothing deteriorates and is long gone by the time archeologists discover skeletal remains. But that hasn’t stopped all experts.

Thinking Outside the Box

Archaeologist and medical doctor Ian Gilligan specializes in studying the origins of clothing and the psychological and philosophical implications of wearing clothes. He penned an essay published in the anthropology magazine Sapiens which was republished by the Smithsonian.

In it, Gilligan discusses his research on paleolithic clothing and a new study published in Science Advances that shows evidence of clothes-making even as far back as the Ice Age — most of which I’ll discuss throughout this article.

Much of Gilligan’s and the other archaeologists’ success in their fields is because they thought outside the box to find answers. See, rather than look for clothing that miraculously survives thousands or millions of years in the dirt, they search for the tools paleolithic Humans would have used to make clothing.

And it seems their strategy is working because the tools discovered so far tell a story of Humankind’s early relationship with clothing.