Caribou skins were preferred for prehistoric clothing because they were lightweight and excellent insulators, but their brittle hairs usually meant the clothing lasted no more than one winter.
Notes on verification
Core claims about caribou hide insulation, hair brittleness, and short garment lifespan are corroborated by multiple independent sources, including ethnographic and patent documentation. However, direct evidence is from historic/modern Indigenous Arctic peoples rather than the specific prehistoric (13,000-year-old) context, requiring inference by analogy. [cascade flags: wikipedia_dropped_other_sources_exist | tier=silver indep_score=0.838 clusters=4 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Sewing Saved Us from a "Cold Snap" 13 Thousand Years Ago (seed:history_and_archaeology)
- https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/article/clothing/ (corroboration)
- https://nativecanadianarts.com/gallery/carrying-caribou-hides-for-winter-clothing/ (corroboration)
- https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/4751117 (corroboration)
- https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/caribou-rug-blanket.170837/ (corroboration)