Sandals discovered in southern Oregon are the oldest known article of clothing. They predate the volcanic event that formed Crater Lake by around 7,700 years.
They are also on display at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, under a glass case.
During an expedition led by UO archaeologist Luther Cressman in 1938 in Fort Rock Cave near Paisley, dozens of ancient sandals made from sagebrush bark and other fibers were discovered.
The oldest items in the collection, referred to as the Fort Rock sandals, were subsequently radiocarbon-dated at 10,400 years old.
According to Tom Connolly, head of archaeological research at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, it implies that there was a very significant occupation there. We know from ethnographic sources that sandals like that were mostly worn in the winter by the Klamath and Paiutes.
For the inhabitants of the time, it was essentially a garbage dump, but to modern archaeologists, it was an exciting discovery.
The shoes aren’t very sturdy. According to Connolly, they are swiftly broken apart and worn out. They would use them to hunt and gather ducks in cold-water marshes and lakes. Its main purpose is to keep the feet warm. It isn’t actually meant to shield your feet from jagged items.
Similar sandals were discovered in the Northern Great Basin, which includes northeast California, northwest Nevada, and southeast Oregon. The Klamath, Modoc, and certain groups of Northern Paiute peoples have historically called these territories home.
Connolly claimed that because the sandals were stored inside dry caves, they were able to endure for millennia. Bacteria and fungus are examples of decay organisms that need food, air, and water to break down organic matter.
According to Connolly, they cannot survive if you take away one of those. Therefore, degradation does not occur in a dry cave since there is no water for creatures to live. In places like peat bogs that are constantly moist, you get the same result. Because there is no oxygen present, organic materials do not decompose.
A selection of sandals from the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s collection.Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon
The Great Basin Textile Dating Project has carbon-dated over 350 fiber artifacts from the area in the past 20 years. The oldest bits of corded fibers, which date back 12,700 years, were found in the Paisley Caves.
It should come as no surprise that shoes are the oldest recognizable article of apparel. Archaeologists are unsure of the purpose of other textile remnants that have been discovered that are older.
According to Connolly, matting is another type of fiber artifact that is frequently discovered in several of these cave sites. All of it is just twined together. We don’t know if they were used for leggings, sleeping mats, capes, or other types of clothing. You can sort of identify shoes.
By digging and collecting soil samples around ancient fire hearths, archaeologists have gained additional knowledge about these early Americans and the foods they were preparing.
According to Connolly, there is a growing image of humans utilizing various areas of the terrain, establishing roots in the arid soil, gathering food from wetlands, and shooting ducks, rabbits, and other large game. Numerous tiny bone needles that were likely used for clothes production have been discovered.
A selection of sandals from the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s collection.Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon
What can we learn about these individuals from these sandals?
According to Connolly, it serves as a reminder that we are all only human. There are large and small sandals and sandal components in this entire collection, as well as items that are worn out. Children’s shoes are available. You can see sparks shooting from a hearth fire and landing on Grandma’s shoes since some of them have some charring on the toe flaps. This family community is somewhat imaginable.
If you go: The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, located at 1680 E. 15th Ave. in Eugene, has a number of examples of Fort Rock sandals on display. Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, late hours till 8 p.m. The cost of admission is $6 for adults, $4 for kids and seniors, $12 for a family consisting of up to two adults and four kids, and free for active-duty military, veterans, UO students, UO employees, and kids under the age of two. To learn more, visit mnch.uoregon.edu.
Here is Oregon and The Oregonian/OregonLive are covered by Samantha Swindler. You may reach her at oregonian.com/sswindler.
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