Sewing tools at the Early Upper Paleolithic site of Sabaniha-3: evidence from excavations in 2023

Presently, Siberia is considered one of the centers where sewing technology originated. The earliestfinds of bone eye-pointed needles (50-44 ka BP) and subsequent development of serial production of sewing tools at a number of sites at the boundary of MIS3-MIS2 have been discovered in the region. One of such sites of the final MIS3 with serial production of bone needles is the Early Upper Paleolithic Sabanikha site and the adjoining Sabanikha-3 site, which are located in the Middle Yenisei region. This article presents a detailed analysis of a bone needle discovered at the Sabanikha-3 site in 2023. The find was a unique item long (>87 mm) thin eye-pointed needle which has survived in three fragments. Using 3D modeling, metric parameters of the needle as well as morphology of the whole object and its fragments were analyzed. Analysis of the needle and its comparison with the published data on Eurasian bone needles has shown that the needle from Babanikha corresponds to bone needles of Europe and Siberia both in morphology and metric parameters. In terms of morphometry, it belongs to all-purpose type of needles without narrow specialization forfine or coarse work. In addition to bone needles, other sewing tools, such as a series of awls and possibly borers were also present in the assemblage of the site. The context of the industry at the Sabanikha-3 site indicates active hide processing activities. The discovery of a bone needle further confirms that hides were processed and sophisticated clothing was made from them at the site.