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Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
8 ancient Roman shoes of 'exceptional size' discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists excavating a Roman-era fort in northern England have unearthed several enormous ancient leather soles that measure more than 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) long. The finds add to the archaeologists' growing collection of supersized ancient footwear found at the ancient fort, known as Magna. The researchers now have eight of these extra-extra-large shoes — a quarter of the total found at the site. "I think there is something very different going on here at Magna," Elizabeth Greene, an archaeologist at Western University in Ontario, Canada and a specialist in ancient shoes, said in a statement. "Even from this small sample uncovered, it is clear that these shoes are much larger on average than most of the Vindolanda collection." The shoes were discovered at Magna — also known as Carvoran — a fort along Hadrian's Wall, which was built around A.D. 122 to demarcate the northern extent of the Roman Empire. Magna is situated about 7 miles (11 kilometers) west of Vindolanda, the large Roman auxiliary fort that's well known for the remarkable preservation of writing tablets, military medals and leather shoes. In May, archaeologists unearthed an enormous leather shoe while digging at the bottom of one of Magna's "ankle-breaker" defensive ditches — narrow, deep trenches that, when full of water, could cause an enemy soldier to trip and snap their ankle. The waterlogged conditions in the ditch created an oxygen-free environment that preserved the leather shoe. The sole of the giant shoe measured 12.6 inches (32 cm) long, which is the equivalent of a men's U.S. 14 or U.K. size 13 shoe today. For context, the average U.S. men's shoe size is around 10.5, while basketball player LeBron James wears a size U.S. 15 and Michael Jordan wears a U.S. 13.5. Further excavations revealed the Magna ditch contained a total of 32 shoes in a range of sizes, from children's to adults', which adds to the collection of more than 5,000 ancient leather shoes found at the nearby fort of Vindolanda, according to the statement. Related: Roman-era 'fast food' discovered in ancient trash heap on Mallorca But the Magna shoes live up to their name — 25% of the shoes recovered to date are more than 11.8 inches long. One of them, measuring 12.8 inches (32.6 cm) long, is now the largest shoe on record in the Vindolanda collection. By contrast, only 16 of the 3,704 measurable shoes from the Vindolanda fort — just 0.4% — were over 11.8 inches long. Archaeologists are unsure why Magna's shoes are so large. This discovery "reminds us that not every population was the same, that wide variations between the regiments and people who served along Hadrian's Wall could be cultural and physical," Andrew Birley, the director of excavations for the Vindolanda Trust, said in the statement. RELATED STORIES —Roman army camp found in Netherlands, beyond the empire's frontier —Smooth wooden phallus found at a Roman fort was likely a sex toy —Infant twins buried together in Roman Croatia may have died from lead poisoning Greene, who has measured every shoe in the Vindolanda collection, cautioned that direct comparisons between Magna and Vindolanda cannot yet be made, as the Magna leather has not yet gone through the conservation process, which can result in shrinkage of up to 0.4 inches (1 cm). But even taking this into account, Greene said, "it still means these shoes are very large indeed." "We can only celebrate and marvel at the diversity and differences of these people if we can still see them in the archaeological data we gather today," Birley said. Roman emperor quiz: Test your knowledge on the rulers of the ancient empire Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
18-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Discovery at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall ‘baffles' archaeologists
Excavations at the Roman fort of Magna near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland in north east England have uncovered some very large leather footwear. Their discovery, according to some news coverage, has 'baffled' archaeologists. The survival of the shoes is not, by itself, miraculous or unusual. Excellent preservation conditions caused by waterlogged environments with low oxygen mean that leather and other organic materials survive in the wet soil of this part of northern England. Many years of excavations by the Vindolanda Trust at Vindolanda, just south of Hadrian's Wall, and now at Magna, have recovered an enormous collection of Roman shoes. These finds have provided us with an excellent record of the footwear of soldiers and the civilians who lived around them. The shoes from Magna stand out because many of them are big. Big shoes have also been found at Vindolanda. However, of those whose size can be determined, only 0.4% are big. The average shoe size at Vindolanda is 9.5 to 10.2 inches in length, which is between a modern UK shoe size 7 to 8. Big shoes make up a much larger share of the shoes at Magna. The biggest shoe is a whopping 12.8 inches long, roughly equivalent to a modern UK size 12 to 14. This shoe collection raises an immediate and obvious question: why did people at Magna have such large shoes? The possible answers to this question raise more questions and bring to the fore a central component of archaeological research: a good debate. Emma Frame, senior archaeologist for the Magna excavations, suggests: 'We have to assume it's something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller, but we don't know.' This idea of bigger feet, bigger people, makes a good deal of sense, though it would suggest that some of the military community at Magna were very tall indeed. And, as the Roman cemeteries of Hadrian's Wall have been little excavated or studied, we have little information about how tall people were in this part of the Roman world. Other ideas might be worth entertaining, too, however. For example, could these be some kind of snowshoes or winter boots meant to allow extra layers of padding or multiple pairs of socks to be worn? A letter, preserved by similar conditions to the shoes at Vindolanda, refers to a gift of socks and underpants that was sent to someone stationed there, presumably to keep them warm during the cold winter nights. We also know from other evidence that Syrian archers made up one of the units stationed at Magna. These men would not have been used to the frosty climate of northern England. Could these large shoes be an attempt to cope with the bitter shock of a British winter? Or instead, could these shoes have a medical purpose, perhaps to allow people with swollen feet or people utilising medical dressings to wear shoes? It's important to note, I am not claiming to have the answers. I'm simply putting out some hypotheses which could explain the extra-large shoes based on other evidence we have and potential logical explanations for such large footwear. These kinds of hypotheses lie right at the heart of the archaeological method. Fresh archaeological discoveries are made every day, and they often make headlines with phrases about 'baffled archaeologists.' While this language can spark public interest, it also risks giving a misleading impression of the discipline. In reality, the work archaeologists like me and thousands of my colleagues around the world do is grounded in careful, evidence-based analysis. The challenge lies not in our lack of expertise, but in the nature of the evidence itself. Much of the distant past has been lost to time, and what we do recover represents only a small fragment of the original picture. We're not so much 'baffled' as we are rigorously testing multiple hypotheses to arrive at the most plausible interpretations. Interpreting these fragments is a complex process, like piecing together a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle with many of the most crucial pieces (like the edges) missing. Sometimes we have exactly the right pieces to understand the big picture, but other times we have gaps, and we have to put forward a series of different suggestions until more evidence comes to light.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Find Huge, Well-Preserved Roman-Era Shoe
At the ancient Roman fort of Magna, archaeologists have found a large, immaculately preserved Roman-era shoe, according to the Magna Rooman Fort Project.' During ongoing excavations at the site located in Northumberland, England, near Hadrian's Wall, researchers came across a Roman-era leather shoe measuring 12.6 inches, which is a modern men's size 13–14. It's one of the largest shoes to be recorded so far in the Vindolanda Trust, which compiles all Roman footwear found to date. "The sheer size of the shoe and guesses about who could have worn it dominated the conversation," said Rachel Frame, a senior archaeologist with the Magna Project "Could this one be the largest in the Vindolanda Trust collection? We certainly look forward to finding out!' The shoe is actually one of several found during the excavation, all of which were remarkably well-preserved thanks to the oxygen-poor conditions which slowed the leather's decomposition. While the large shoe had only one sole layer, other pieces of footwear recovered contained several sole layers, allowing researchers to chart the evolution of ancient Roman footwear. The heel of the large shoe remained almost completely intact, allowing an unprecedented look at the craftsmanship. "Multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with thongs, stitching, and hobnails,' Frame said. 'These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe."Adding a bit more mystery to the discovery is the fact that the largest shoe was found in an 'ankle-breaker' trench, which was designed to fell oncoming enemies. Scientists will conduct further research to determine how the soldier lost his shoe, whether in a violent incident or a willful abandonment. A volunteer archaeologist identified as Jo, who assisted in the excavation of two shoes, was overcome with the magnitude of the discoveries. "It's always exciting to find anything that hasn't been touched for 2,000 years, but a shoe is such a personal item. It really puts you in touch with the people who used to live at the fort." Archaeologists Find Huge, Well-Preserved Roman-Era Shoe first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 21, 2025
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Science
- CBS News
"Unusually large" 2,000-year-old shoes unearthed at a Roman site in northern England
A stash of "unusually large" 2,000-year-old shoes dug up at a Roman site in northern England has left archaeologists searching for an explanation, they told AFP on Thursday. Eight large shoes, including one measuring nearly 13 inches long – equivalent to size 49 in Europe and size 15 in the US – have been found by archaeologists from the Vindolanda Charity Trust in recent months. "Eight shoes from Magna are now recorded as 30cm or over in length and this includes one which holds the current record for being the Trust's largest shoe at 32.6cm long," the Roman Army Museum and Fort said in a news release. Roman Magna | XXL ancient shoes! Our excavations at Magna are revealing fascinating insights into the people who... Posted by The Vindolanda Trust on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 The trust was established in 1970 to excavate, conserve, and share Roman remains at Vindolanda and Carvoran, both part of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site in northern England. The shoes were discovered in a defensive ditch, often used by Romans as a rubbish dump, at the Magna Roman Fort in Northumberland. Only a tiny fraction of shoes in Vindolanda's vast existing collection are of a similar size, whereas around a quarter of those from the Magna site are in this size range, according to Rachel Frame, a senior archaeologist on the project. She called it "really unusual." "We're all now off trying to work out who might have been here," Frame told AFP. She added they were eager to know "which regiments would have been stationed in Magda" and why exactly there are "so many large shoes at this site compared to others." The team reported finding the first "exceptionally large shoe" on May 21 and has continued to discover more since then, according to Vindolanda's website. "You need specific soil conditions with very low oxygen for organic objects made of things like wood, leather, textiles, stuff like that, to survive for this length of time," explained Frame. She noted the team are probing the history of the Roman Empire for answers, stressing people of different cultures and backgrounds would likely have been meeting at the site. "When people think about the Romans, they think about Italians, they sometimes forget just how broad the Empire was and how far it stretched," Frame said. A picture shows the remains of Vindolanda, a large Roman auxiliary fort one mile south of Hadrian's Wall, which predated the wall by approximately 40 years, near Hexham, northern England, on January 19, 2022. OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images A video released by the trust shows the vast array of footwear unearthed at the site. The video features Dr. Elizabeth Greene, associate professor at the University of Western Ontario, who has seen and measured every shoe in the Vindolanda collection. "I think there is something very different going on here at Magna, even from this small sample uncovered it is clear that these shoes are much larger on average than most of the Vindolanda collection," Greene said. In a separate social media post on Thursday, the trust said archaeologists had also uncovered another ancient artifact -- a boxwood comb. "Magna is making the news this week with all our giant shoes but they are not the only artefacts in the fort ditches," the post reads. "This morning a lovely boxwood comb was uncovered."
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Unnerving' ancient Roman discovery in UK changes what we know about history
The Roman Fort Magna, located in Northumberland, has been the site of several ancient footwear discoveries, but one shoe, due to its size, has left archaeologists particularly impressed Archaeologists excavating the Roman Fort Magna in Northern England have stumbled upon three examples of leather footwear, one of which is equivalent to a modern-day size 14. This colossal shoe wouldn't look out of place in today's NBA, where the average shoe size is 15 and the typical player stands at six-foot-seven or two metres tall. The team unearthed these 2000 year old fashion items while digging through defensive ditches en route to excavating the fort, suggesting that the owner of the large shoe was quite a big man for his time. These artefacts were discovered in a section of the trench designed to ensnare the feet of those attempting to cross it. Around two thousand years ago, the Romans dug a narrow but deep defensive trench outside the fort to hinder enemies from gaining access, reports the Express. This posed problems for incoming soldiers who either weren't paying attention or misjudged the depth of the feature, resulting in shoes being discarded there. Teams from the Vindolanda Trust project have started excavating the Magna Roman Fort from its perimeter, working towards the main fort and encountering some defensive ditches on the outskirts of the former structure. Workers on an archaeological dig were anticipating the unearthing of pottery but were taken aback when they stumbled upon three 2,000 year old shoes in remarkable condition. Popular Mechanics reports that the real showstopper was the largest of the trio, measuring a whopping 12.6 inches. Rachel Frame, the senior archaeologist for the project, shared her excitement on the project's diary page: "(It) immediately drew impressed gasps from volunteers and staff alike." Frame detailed the construction of the Roman footwear in her notes: "This gives us a really good look at how Roman shoes were made: multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with tongs, stitching, and hobnails," she explained. "These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe." The most astonishing discovery was the colossal ancient shoe that left archaeologists gobsmacked by its size. The enormous shoe, akin to a modern U.S. men's size 14, is just one shy of basketball icon LeBron James' size 15. To put it into perspective, the NBA star stands at six-foot-nine, hinting at the stature of the person who once wore this historical piece. Frame expressed that finding intact shoes can shed light on the craftsmanship behind them and potentially reveal details about the people who wore them. With the discovery of these shoes, the team's hopes are high for uncovering even more significant finds in the future. "The anaerobic preservation here has generally been pretty good, which is really promising for our future excavations," she said. "When we move inside the fort, we will have surviving timber buildings." Frame mentioned that delving into the mud to unearth history gives archaeologists a connection to those who once dwelled at the site, also referred to as Carvoran, which might have been a fort since approximately 85 A.D..
