Wednesday, June 9, 2010

World's Oldest Leather Shoe

This is so fascinating...the oldest leather shoe yet discovered was kept in pristine condition by a thick layer of sheep dung in a cave in Armenia for 5,500 years, according an international team of archaeologists.  Check out the shoe laces and the eyelets!  They say it probably belonged to a woman (it's the equivalent of a size 5) but could easily be a man's shoe if the man was small in stature.  This shoe pre-dates the Egyptian pyramids! Since its discovery however, exposure to the elements has hardened the leather; when it was found, the leather was soft and now it's hard as a rock.  I'm really surprised at how modern this shoe looks, and it's proof that people have been lacing up their shoes for at least 5500 years.

1 comment:

Amy said...

fascinating! I love stuff like this