2000-YEAR-OLD
SHOE FOUND IN ENGLAND
Copyright 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com
[ May 10th 2005 ]
British
archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000 year old
shoe hidden in a hollow tree on a Bronze Age iron-smelting
site in Wellington, Southwest England. The tree
had been used to construct an ancient waterway
at Whiteball Quarry, Associated Press reports.
"As far
as we know, this is the oldest shoe ever found
in the United Kingdom," said Stephen Reed, who
led the team from Exeter Archaeology that made
the find. "It is reasonably well-preserved, with
stitch and lace holes still visible in the leather."
Reed told AP.
The shoe
measured 12 inches in length, suggesting the owner
was a male. Reed said the find was unusual because
garments and apparel normally biodegrade during
the passage of time. Researches at Wiltshire Conservation
Centre will spend time analysing the shoe in the
hope of uncovering more information about ancient
clothing and footwear.
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