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Located at the Magna Roman Fort in Northumberland, a collection of unusually large shoes has puzzled archaeologists. Among the 32 shoes excavated earlier this year, eight were found to be over 30cm (11.8in) in length, equivalent to a UK size 13 to 14. Dr. Elizabeth Greene, a Roman archaeology expert, highlighted that of the 5,000 shoes unearthed at the nearby Vindolanda settlement in Hexham over the last five decades, only a handful were as large.
Specialist archaeologist Rachel Frame noted that all the leather shoes were discovered in a defensive ditch, which the Romans also utilized as rubbish dumps. The largest shoe uncovered at the Magna Roman Fort measured 32.6cm (12.8in) in length. Frame mentioned that there are several theories circulating about the origin of these oversized shoes, speculating on whether the inhabitants of the area had larger feet or hailed from a specific region known for larger footwear.
The team is still in the early stages of unraveling the mystery behind the unusually large shoes. Besides the large shoes, children’s shoes were also found at the site. The researchers plan to conduct further analysis of pottery discovered in the same soil layers as the footwear later this year to gain insights into the time period they belong to. These findings are essential in establishing a clearer picture of the individuals inhabiting the area during different historical periods.
The remarkable preservation of the shoes can be attributed to the low oxygen conditions in the soil at both Vindolanda and Magna Roman Fort. The leather shoes have managed to survive for nearly 2,000 years due to these ideal ground conditions. Alongside the discovery of the large shoes, the team also unearthed a wooden hair comb on the site, which resembled a modern-day knit comb, adding to the intriguing archaeological finds at the historical locations
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