The World's Oldest Pair of Pants Are 3,000 Years Old

Hipsters of the world, take note: Drop-crotch pants were in way before MC Hammer and Justin Bieber wore them.

A German archaeological team recently discovered a pair of pants that were between 3,000 and 3,300 years old on the remains of a man buried in a cemetery in Xinjiang, China. They were made of wool and intricately patterned, according to a report in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Mayke Wagner, who worked on the project, assumes the pants were created in response to a surge in horseback riding.

Wagner fashioned a replica of the trousersA teammate who tried them said the pants were not suitable for long-distance walking, spurring the investigation into whether they were designed for riding. Read more...