A remarkable 2,000-year-old waterlogged leather shoe was discovered by archaeologists during their excavation near the site of Magna, a Roman fort established along Hadrian’s Wall around 112 AD. Hadrian’s Wall was constructed to protect the wild north-west frontier of the Roman Empire, extending 73 miles from coast to coast.The shoe, which belonged to a Roman soldier with notably large feet, was located at the bottom of a perilous ditch, a deep defensive trench intended to ensnare attackers should they advance that far. The leather sole measured 12.6 inches from toe to heel, corresponding to a men’s size UK 13. The researchers also uncovered pottery and other smaller artifacts, but the discovery of three intact 2,000-year-old leather shoes was particularly astonishing. This shoe will yield new insights into manufacturing techniques and the individuals of that time.
The volunteers involved in the Magna Project expressed on their excavation blog, “It is always thrilling to uncover anything that has remained untouched for 2000 years, but a shoe is such a personal item; it truly connects you with the people who once inhabited the fort. This holds great promise for our future excavations,” wrote Rachel Frame, a senior archaeologist associated with the dig project, on the project’s diary page.The researchers indicated that they plan to extend their excavation efforts inside the fort to search for additional items of archaeological significance.The archaeologists who made the discovery shared that the audience was left in awe, as it “elicited impressed gasps” when it was extracted from the earth. The shoe provides a clear view of how Roman footwear was constructed: multiple layers of leather were utilized to create the sole, secured with thongs, stitching, and hobnails. These features also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are present in many shoe styles,” Frame remarked in the blog post.”Regrettably, the toe section is missing, which means we can only approximate its original size, but it was evident that this would have been a substantial shoe when complete.
