A leather sandal “from the time of Christ” was found preserved in ruins in Spain

Archaeologists were surprised by an unusual discovery during excavations at a Roman settlement in northern Spain. At the bottom of a well immersed in more than three meters of clay, researchers found a leather sandal, well preserved and rich in detail, estimated to be about two thousand years old.

The researchers explained that the shoes, which may have belonged to someone who was cleaning the well and lost them while working, were found during excavations in the settlement of Locos Astorum, in a place now known as Lugo de Llanera, in the Asturias region. . . The results of the excavations were released last September.

According to Esperanza Martín Hernández, the chief archaeologist of the excavation, the artifact surprised researchers with its rich detail and excellent state of preservation. The sandal is made of dark brown leather and has decorations in the form of circles, arcs and ovals.

Esperanza explained that the clay helped preserve the shoes, an artifact rarely found in archaeological ruins from the Roman Empire.

“It is really rare to find conditions for preserving organic materials in such good conditions,” she told the portal. Live sciences. “In this case it is a well for water consumption in a private house, and the reason for its excellent preservation is due to the anaerobic state of the sediment. All the organic materials have remained intact for two thousand years due to the lack of oxygen.”

In addition to the sandals, ceramic vessels, jewelry, a metal ring, beads, a necklace, and a bronze vase were found. The researcher stated that the artifacts help in understanding what the lifestyle was like at the beginning of the Roman Empire.

Also according to Esperanza, the findings provide evidence that the residents of the house in which they were found were people of high social class and high purchasing power.

Source: Redacao Terra