Oldest Shoes Ever Discovered in Europe Unearthed in Southern Spain
New analysis has revealed the oldest shoes ever found in Europe, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. Radiocarbon analysis dated the 22 woven sandals to approximately 6,000 years ago, which is older than previously believed.
The ancient footwear, along with Mesolithic baskets and other tools, were initially discovered in a cave in southern Spain in 1857, after looters had already plundered the site. However, when the artifacts were first dated in the 1970s, they were estimated to be about 1,000 years more recent than the latest analysis indicates.
The researchers believe that the dry conditions inside the cave contributed to the preservation of these perishable materials, including the sandals. The cave also contained a prehistoric burial site with partially mummified corpses, baskets, wooden tools, and other goods.
Maria Herrero Otal, one of the study’s authors, described these objects as the “oldest and best-preserved set of plant fiber materials in southern Europe.” She added that they demonstrate the craftsmanship skills of prehistoric communities.
Spanish archaeologist Manuel de Góngora y Martínez visited the cave in 1867 and collected the remaining artifacts, including the sandals. These artifacts have since been studied by researchers in museums in Madrid and Granada.
The sandals were made from a variety of materials, including grasses, leather, lime, and ramie bast, a natural fiber. Based on descriptions provided by Góngora, the researchers hypothesize that the bodies were buried wearing the sandals. Some of the sandals showed signs of wear, while others appeared to have never been worn, indicating that some people had specially made clothing for their burial.
In addition to studying the sandals, the researchers also examined several baskets and other wooden artifacts in the collection. They believe that these objects provide valuable insights into the complexity of early and middle Holocene populations in Europe. The researchers noted that most knowledge of past societies comes from durable artifacts, such as pottery, rather than perishable ones like baskets.
The baskets and sandals suggest that the makers had extensive knowledge of the plant resources in the local environment and a high level of expertise, challenging previous assumptions about early human communities in southern Europe.
The study also found that the objects were deposited at the site during two different periods of the early and middle Holocene eras. The first phase was associated with hunter-gatherer populations, while the second phase was linked to farmers during the middle Holocene.
This discovery provides valuable insights into the lives and practices of ancient societies in Europe, shedding light on their craftsmanship and resource utilization. Further research and analysis of these artifacts may reveal even more about the history and culture of these early communities.