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3d ago

Record 12.8-Inch Shoe Tops 32 Leather Finds at Magna Roman Fort

Conservation efforts are under way to protect these rare remains in the face of climate-driven soil changes.

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A handout photo released by The Vindolanda Trust shows a complete leather shoe, one of 32 shoes uncovered so far during excavations in Northern England
Researchers working at the Roman Magna Fort found a collection of shoes in a ditch.

Overview

  • Archaeologists unearthed 32 leather shoes in the waterlogged defensive ditches of Magna Roman Fort, where low-oxygen conditions preserved them for almost 2,000 years.
  • Eight shoes measure at least 11.8 inches, highlighted by a 12.8-inch sole that sets a new size record for the Vindolanda Trust.
  • Approximately one-quarter of the footwear is classified as XXL (30 cm or over), a higher share than at other Hadrian’s Wall sites.
  • The finds include smaller shoes likely worn by children, pointing to physical and demographic diversity among the Roman occupants.
  • Conservation treatments are under way and researchers are probing what the unusually large sizes reveal, cautioning that climate-driven soil changes could endanger future organic discoveries.