When did proto-clothes start?
While the evidence we have for the wide use of clothing dates back to about 170,000 years ago, most scholars think clothing started as early as 500,000 to 1 million years ago, with perhaps proto-clothing starting even earlier. Early humans likely began wearing simple animal hides, furs, and woven fibers by the time they first migrated out of Africa into colder climates. Homo erectus is a strong candidate for the first species to don clothing, but it’s possible even earlier hominins occasionally wore wraps, but most think that was unlikely.
The more solid evidence comes from discoveries and genetic analyses. For instance, the discovery of bone needles dating back to 40,000 years ago indicates that early humans were making tailored clothing. Moreover, genetic studies of clothing lice suggest that humans began wearing clothes well before 170,000 years ago, as this is when lice evolved to live in clothing separate from head lice.
What About Shoes?
In warmer climates, many populations don’t wear shoes today! Evidence for shoes is slim, but they must have been used in cold climates. Earlier, humans might have occasionally used simple techniques for foot protection, such as rubbing mud on their feet and stepping on leaves, similar to other primates today. The first shoes were likely made from long fibers like grass wrapped around feet.
Modesty and Clothing
Interestingly, all surviving hunter-gatherer societies exhibit some form of clothing, even if minimal. This suggests a universal tendency toward modesty and practicality with jealousy being a key factor. If early hominins had a similar tendencies, it’s plausible that minimal clothing or wraps could have been used as early as Homo erectus.
Visit our timeline for more insights into the making of a sophisticated person, take the deep dive: March to Civilization: Societal Touchstones.