How early do you anthropologists think it was, when Homo Sapiens began wearing clothes?How about using shelter

Question

To llona: If I wanted to hear about your religious propaganda, I would have asked this question in Religion, Spirituality or Myth. This is a request for scientific evidence, the Bible is an epic poem...

As science improves, history changes...

Answer 1

Wow - I am surprised at the Mis and partial information in some of these answers.

The answer is simple - as hominids (H. erectus, H. sapiens and what ever other varieties the latest evidence suggests) moved into colder climates, there became a need to cover themselves to keep warm. If they could not somehow adapt to the colder temperatures (either biologically or culturally) we would all still live in the tropic/subtropic climates where human ancestors began. There are a number of factors invovled in what allowed humans to leave Africa - including the ability to control fire, which adds warmth, the development of technology to produce clothing - which adds warmth, and environmental factors - warming and cooling - that opened and closed environments to our ancestors. Over the course of time, the development of cultural advantages (clothing, fire, building shelter) allowed us to overcome the natural or environmental conditions that kept humans in warm climates.

As for an answer of exactly when that was - we may never be sure - humans can biologically adapt to a wide range of temps (as long as it is above freezing) but we will never be able to see "comfort levels" and how they may have come into play.

As someone has pointed out, clothing (and all other orgranic material) typically does not survive. Although there are sometimes rare cirucmstances where it may. For example - Otzi - the Iceman- over 4,000 years encased in a glacier helped to keep every stitch of clothing and his hair, skin, stomach contents, etc. intact. So we now have a good idea of what folks in that part of the world were wearing, and what they were tatooing on themselves. BUT in most cases we will not find helpful evidence.

Contrary to what one person stated, this is not because archaeologists are not looking for such materials - We would all love to find those things!!! (yes I R an rka-ologist =). They just typically do not survive for us to find. We do look for clues even when such materials are gone - impressions in clay are often a good way to see evidence of fabric even after the fabric is gone - but again, the conditions have to be just right to get impressions.

With regard to the Neanderthal vs. modern human issue - nothing has been settled really - various researchers will argue for or against violence, indifference or close interaction between them - if they even coexisted (which does seem probably at some locations). So be wary of any absolute answers. The first thing my first professor banged into us many years ago - in archaeology and the study of human ancestry nothing is definite - since we were not there we can never know for sure. All we can do is make educated guesses based on the available data - and as that data changes (new finds) we need to be able to reconsider our theories and adapt them to the new info. That is how all science works actually - just in our field the unknowns/undiscovered is so vast there is often more uncertainty.

As for your original question - my guess would be that as soon as our ancestors began to leave the warmer parts of the world, they realized that wrapping themselves in dead animals skins/furs helped. That would put the time somewhere around 100-150,000 years ago. By the time they reached the far north latitudes (50-75,000) they were very good at making clothing and using shelters, AND fire.

this may not be the definite answer you wanted - but then nothing is ever definite when studying the ancient past.

Answer 2

Ed: There is no such thing as Homo sapiens neanderthal. It has been reclassified as H. neanderthalensis a long time ago.

Homo sapiens has always worn clothes. The use of protective covering (from sun as well as cold) is believed to have existed long before the evolution of H. sapiens. Neanderthals would have needed clothing to live in the cold northern areas near the glaciers but H. erectus (H. ergaster if your a splitter) would have also needed warm clothing in eastern Asia. In fact all evidence points to some form of clothing for all members of the genus Homo. At the very least a loin cloth and belt from which to suspend bags, pouches, tools, weapons, etc. Examination of stone tools and their debitage (waste material from flaking a core) show evidence that highly valued stone was traded and carried over long distances. Some form of bag or pouch would be necessary for transporting heavy materials over distances of several hundred kilometers. The definition of clothing becomes problematic and depends on how you judge function, form and what you call it but clothing surely existed back to Homo habilis.

Shelter is one of the essentials of life. Food, water and shelter are things all animals (which includes humans) need. Shelter would go back to the Austrolopithicenes at least. You may need to be more specific. Living in a cave is shelter, building a lean to is a different matter but then that is construting shelter not using it.

Answer 3

Most Sapiens did not need clothes for warmth until they moved into the Mid East where they came into contact with the Neanderthal nearly 100,000 yrs ago. One hypothesis suggests the Homo Sapien Neanderthal began to wear skins for warmth about 300,000 years ago & the Homo Sapien got this idea from Neanderthal. Fossiles of Neanderthal & Homo Sapiens in the Mid East (Near Israel) indicate both species lived in the same area for thousands of years. Chuckle, how did you become a top contributer? I believe Wolpoff & Trinkaus still use that term for Neandertal. Yeah, next you will quibble over the spelling!
Homo Hablis & Homo Erectus both used caves more than 1 million yrs ago. Previous hominids appear to have used trees instead of caves... but that is open to heated debate as some older remains were found in caves. Shelters built by early humans were very temporary, if indeed they were built, until about 25,000 yrs ago.
TJB... some anthropologists do use that term & others simply use Homo Neanderthalis... I perfer Neandertal & Sapien as they are descriptive enough. I think you are a mite picky about things you know nothing about. Wolpoff & Trinkaus use the term but I will not quibble over that any more than I will the spelling of Neandertal. I suspect you are very young & self centered.

Answer 4

Well, of course, we can't be sure exactly when; it would be a range of times. After all, clothes would rot away; mostly,they have bones and tools to try to figure the rest out from.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/human-evolution/dn9990

If you dig around a bit, you might find out what the best, current thinking is.

Some of the links are to Subscriber-Only pages, but others are free.

Oops! Didn't realize I didn't Submit this. If you scroll down the page of the link I gave, there will be a Timeline.

I've since closed that window, and don't remember what they had for built shelters and (much later) clothes.

Answer 5

being cold is a pretty good reason to cover yourself up. People have always been hunters. The wearing of furs and leathers began as people started moving from the warm climate of Africa into cooler climates in Europe and Asia. People needed the extra protection of clothes and shelter to survive the winters as they migrated throughout the world. People have been in Asia and Europe for a long, long time. You could probably look up a timeline of migration out of Africa and that would answer your question.

Answer 6

actually, anthropologists don't really spend their time examining when hominids began wearing clothing. the spend more time considering the early tools, pottery, hunter and gatherer habits, between the different 'genus' and 'species'.

Answer 7

i dont know what anthropologists think, But the Bible says the first humans began to cover themselves with leaves after they sinned. They became embarrassed of their nakedness. since we humans are also sinful, we must also cover up ourselves.