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World’s Oldest Stone Needles Unearthed on Tibetan Plateau
Context:
Archaeologists unearthed six unusual stone artefacts near the shore of Lake Xiada Co in western Tibet. Each artefact is about half the length of a golf tee, with a pointed tip and an eyelike opening.
Study and Findings:
- Findings published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
- The artefacts are identified as stone sewing needles, dating back up to 9000 years, making them the oldest on record.
- These are the oldest stone tools made by grinding found on the Tibetan Plateau.
- Archaeologists find the study interesting but remain sceptical about the objects being needles.
Characteristics and Analysis of the Needles:
- Materials Used: Made of tremolite, serpentine, actinolite, and talc.
- Tremolite is significantly harder than talc.
- Manufacturing Process: Needles were scraped into shape, ground to form a tip, and then drilled to create an eye.
- Researchers replicated the needles using tremolite slabs and obsidian.
- Scraping, grinding, and drilling processes were recreated, taking a significant amount of time.
- The process took at least seven times longer than for bone needles.
- Evolution of Needles: Bone needles date back approximately 50,000 years (found in Denisova Cave, Russia).
- Previously oldest known stone needles were 2700 years old (found in Henan province, China).
Usage and Symbolism:
- Researchers hypothesise these needles may have been used for sewing thicker materials like tents.
- Needle 6 had traces of red ochre, indicating possible religious significance.
- Suggested ochre use on the Tibetan Plateau dates back 4500 years.
- Alternative Perspectives: Anthropologist suggests blunt tips and ochre indicate a symbolic rather than practical use, possibly as ornaments.
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- Talc’s softness was questioned as a practical material for sewing needles.
- Some argue dimensions and wear patterns are closer to bone needles than stone pendants.
- The artefacts might have been used for weaving fishing nets, considering the proximity to a lake.