Latest news with #VindolandaTrust
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Unnerving' ancient Roman discovery in UK changes what we know about history
The Roman Fort Magna, located in Northumberland, has been the site of several ancient footwear discoveries, but one shoe, due to its size, has left archaeologists particularly impressed Archaeologists excavating the Roman Fort Magna in Northern England have stumbled upon three examples of leather footwear, one of which is equivalent to a modern-day size 14. This colossal shoe wouldn't look out of place in today's NBA, where the average shoe size is 15 and the typical player stands at six-foot-seven or two metres tall. The team unearthed these 2000 year old fashion items while digging through defensive ditches en route to excavating the fort, suggesting that the owner of the large shoe was quite a big man for his time. These artefacts were discovered in a section of the trench designed to ensnare the feet of those attempting to cross it. Around two thousand years ago, the Romans dug a narrow but deep defensive trench outside the fort to hinder enemies from gaining access, reports the Express. This posed problems for incoming soldiers who either weren't paying attention or misjudged the depth of the feature, resulting in shoes being discarded there. Teams from the Vindolanda Trust project have started excavating the Magna Roman Fort from its perimeter, working towards the main fort and encountering some defensive ditches on the outskirts of the former structure. Workers on an archaeological dig were anticipating the unearthing of pottery but were taken aback when they stumbled upon three 2,000 year old shoes in remarkable condition. Popular Mechanics reports that the real showstopper was the largest of the trio, measuring a whopping 12.6 inches. Rachel Frame, the senior archaeologist for the project, shared her excitement on the project's diary page: "(It) immediately drew impressed gasps from volunteers and staff alike." Frame detailed the construction of the Roman footwear in her notes: "This gives us a really good look at how Roman shoes were made: multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with tongs, stitching, and hobnails," she explained. "These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe." The most astonishing discovery was the colossal ancient shoe that left archaeologists gobsmacked by its size. The enormous shoe, akin to a modern U.S. men's size 14, is just one shy of basketball icon LeBron James' size 15. To put it into perspective, the NBA star stands at six-foot-nine, hinting at the stature of the person who once wore this historical piece. Frame expressed that finding intact shoes can shed light on the craftsmanship behind them and potentially reveal details about the people who wore them. With the discovery of these shoes, the team's hopes are high for uncovering even more significant finds in the future. "The anaerobic preservation here has generally been pretty good, which is really promising for our future excavations," she said. "When we move inside the fort, we will have surviving timber buildings." Frame mentioned that delving into the mud to unearth history gives archaeologists a connection to those who once dwelled at the site, also referred to as Carvoran, which might have been a fort since approximately 85 A.D..
New York Post
23-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Ancient Roman shoes after discovered after being buried for 2,000 years
Volunteers were baffled recently when they unearthed not one but two ancient shoes at a historic British site. The discoveries were made at Magna, an Ancient Roman fort in Northumberland, in late May. The Roman Army Museum, located near the fort in Brampton, made the announcement. Photographs show volunteers holding the remarkably preserved leather shoes, which have maintained their form despite being buried for 2,000 years. A volunteer named Jo found the first shoe, which 'seems to have all of its sole layers intact,' the organization said. The shoe's heel area is still attached to it; its outer sole still contains hobnails. Officials said the find sheds light on how these shoes were crafted. 'This gives us a really good look at how Roman shoes were made: Multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with thongs [leather strips], stitching and hobnails,' the Roman Army Museum said. 5 Photographs show volunteers holding the remarkably preserved leather shoes. Roman Army Museum 'These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe.' Officials were unable to determine the size of the shoe, as a toe area was missing, but they said it 'would have been a large shoe when complete.' The volunteer beamed about the find, telling officials that it 'really puts you in touch' with the Romans who lived at the fort. 5 The shoe's heel area is still attached to it; its outer sole still contains hobnails. Roman Army Museum 'It's always exciting to find anything that hasn't been touched for 2,000 years, but a shoe is such a personal item,' said Jo, the volunteer. Before long, another piece of footwear was found. The second shoe was roughly equal to a U.S. men's size 14, which impressed the volunteers. 5 Officials were unable to determine the size of the shoe, as a toe area was missing. Roman Army Museum The find 'immediately drew impressed gasps' from volunteers and staff archaeologists, according to the museum. 'Although in this case [it was] only one of the several sole layers, the sheer size of the shoe and guesses about who could have worn it dominated the conversation,' the organization said. 'Measuring in at 32cm long, the equivalent of U.K. men's size 12-14 in modern footwear, could this one be the largest in the Vindolanda Trust collection? We certainly look forward to finding out!' 5 The find 'immediately drew impressed gasps' from volunteers and staff archaeologists, according to the museum. Roman Army Museum Volunteers also recently dug up pottery fragments, tent pegs and other rarities, but the shoes stole the show. Magna is situated near Hadrian's Wall, a Roman wall designed to protect the northern border of the Britannia from the Picts. 5 The second shoe was roughly equal to a U.S. men's size 14, which impressed the volunteers. Roman Army Museum The fort was established around 80 A.D., predating Hadrian's Wall by a few decades. Last month, a nearby fort made international headlines when a couple found an ancient depiction of a Roman goddess during another volunteer dig. Fox News Digital reached out to Vindolanda Trust for additional information.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Excavated a Roman Fort and Made a Weird Discovery: a Huge Ancient Shoe
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Excavations at the Roman fort Magna in northern England have already yielded three ancient leather shoes, one of which is staggering in size. The team digging through defensive ditches on their way to excavating the fort itself found a 2,000-year-old shoe comparable to at least a modern men's size 14 shoe. The shoes were found in a part of the trench designed to trap the feet of those trying to cross it. About 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers dug a deep and narrow defensive ditch on the outside of a fort in an attempt to stymie oncoming enemies who weren't paying attention or misjudged the depth. Evidently, the ditch worked, gobbling up multiple shoes during its heyday, a few of which were just discovered by an archaeological crew— and one shoe in particular made quit the impression for its transparent size. Crews working at the Vindolanda Trust project to excavate the Magna Roman fort in northern England started from the outside of the site, working toward the main fort, meaning that they're running into some defensive ditches on the outer edges of the site. While pottery and other smaller items have been recovered, the team has been surprised by no less than three 2,000-year-old leather shoes still intact, including one at an impressive 12.6 inches long. It 'immediately drew impressed gasps from volunteers and staff alike,' Rachel Frame, senior archaeologist for the dig project, wrote on the project's diary page. The first shoe the crew discovered had all its sole layers intact, along with part of the heel, and most of the hobnails on the outer sole. 'This gives us a really good look at how Roman shoes were made: multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with tongs, stitching, and hobnails,' Frame wrote. 'These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe.' The toe area was missing on the first shoe, not allowing the team to estimate the original size, even if it was 'clear this would have been a large shoe when complete.' It probably wasn't large enough to measure up to the second find, a shoe recovered from the base of an 'ankle-breaker' ditch designed to trap soldiers. These ditches were deep and narrow, filled with water to hide the depth, designed to trip up and trap oncoming soldiers. The ancient piece of footwear found in the ditch measured, from heel to toe, a whopping 12.6 inches. That's comparable to a size 14 shoe in men's U.S. sizes. For reference, the 6-foot-9-inch NBA star LeBron James wears a size 15. The shoe only had one of the sole layers, but Frame said guesses about who could have worn it dominated the conversation, and that it is likely one of the largest shoes in the Vindolanda Trust collection. She said on a YouTube video from the site that they have now found three shoes along with various other pieces of scrap leather, most of which appear to be from shoes but will be properly identified by a leather specialist. Finding complete shoe examples can 'tell us much more about shoe manufacturing techniques and the individuals who may have worn them in the past.' It also opens the likelihood of bigger discoveries later. 'The anaerobic preservation here has generally been pretty good, which is really promising for our future excavations,' she said. 'When we move inside the fort, we will have surviving timber buildings.' Magna—also known as Carvoran—was at the edge of the Whin Sill on Hadrian's Wall, part of a series of Roman forts in Britain. Experts believe this site could have been a fort since 85 A.D., before the start of the wall's construction in 122 A.D. 'It's always exciting to find anything that hasn't been touched for 2,000 years but a shoe is such a personal item,' a volunteer on the project said, according to Frame. 'It really puts you in touch with the people who used to live at the fort. Getting wet and muddy and digging in the wet is just a bonus.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Fox News
04-06-2025
- Fox News
Couple unearths 'highly revered' Ancient Roman rarity during volunteer dig at tourist site
Volunteers recently unearthed an ancient depiction of a Roman goddess while digging near a historic British landmark. The sandstone carving was found at Vindolanda, a fort in Northumberland, near Hadrian's Wall. In a May 21 press release, the Vindolanda Trust identified the depiction as Victoria, the goddess of victory in Roman mythology. The artifact was uncovered by Jim and Dilys Quinlan, a couple from Merseyside who have volunteered in countless excavations over the past two decades. The pair found the artifact in a pile of rubble near former infantry barracks. Pictures show the proud volunteers smiling next to their discovery in the rubble pile. The organization said Victoria was the counterpart of the Greek goddess Nike, and was worshiped in Ancient Rome. "Victoria was highly revered by the Ancient Romans. During times of war, she was often credited for battlefield success," the statement read. Hadrian's Wall was built under the Ancient Romans, who successfully invaded Britain in 43 A.D. under Emperor Claudius. Previous attempts by Julius Caesar failed, and the Romans were able to establish long-lasting British settlements in the first century A.D. Under Emperor Hadrian, Hadrian's Wall began construction in 122 A.D. to protect the northern border of the province of Brittania from the Picts, who lived in southern Scotland. "It is highly likely that this stone would have originally been brightly painted." The barracks were built in 213 A.D., which was a "tumultuous time" due to the Severan wars ending shortly earlier, according to the Vindolanda Trust. "The barracks were once adorned with a large ornamental arch and gate, precisely the location where an inscription may have been present," the statement noted. "The relief of Victory is poignant, representing the end of the war and the establishment of the fort at the site." Experts believe that the recently discovered stone was part of a significantly larger work, and may have been painted in vibrant colors. "It is highly likely that this stone would have originally been brightly painted," Vindolanda Trust curator Barbara Birley observed. She added, "We will be working with our specialists to see if any traces of the pigment remain, so for now the relief is being stored unwashed ready for that further analysis." In a statement, Vindolanda Trust director of excavations Andrew Birley said that similar finds from Roman Britain are "increasingly rare these days." "[T]he beautifully carved figure vividly reminds us that Roman forts were not simply utilitarian, they had grandeur and, of course, the symbolism was a vital part of the culture here for the soldiers almost 2,000 years ago," the expert noted. Birley added, "I am also delighted for Jim and Dilys for their discovery. It is just reward for their 21 years of hard work and dedication to this site." The piece is set to go on display at the Vindolanda museum next year. Due to the vast amount of influence the Ancient Romans had in the British Isles, Roman-era discoveries are not unheard of, to be sure. An archaeologist recently found an unusual eight-sided Ancient Roman ring in a former drainage ditch in Lincolnshire. A few months earlier, a Roman grave filled with gypsum was found during a highway construction project in England.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Amateur Archaeologists Found an 1,800-Year-Old Carving of an Ancient Goddess
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Amateur archaeologists uncovered a sandstone relief of the Roman goddess of victory in Northumberland. The find occurred in a pile of rubble at the famed Roman fort Vindolanda. Dated to about 213 A.D., the find could be just one piece of an even larger relief. A pair of married volunteer archaeologists working at the Vindolanda archaeological site near Northumberland recently scored a big win. Jim and Dilys Quinlan discovered a sandstone relief—a sculpture that remains attached to a solid background—of Victoria (the Roman goddess of victory) amidst the rubble of what was once a Roman infantry barracks. The Vindolanda site, which was active in roughly 213 A.D., after the end of the Severan wars, was once outfitted with ornamental arches and gates—any of which could have been the original position of the newfound relief. 'Finds like this are increasingly rare these days from Roman Britain,' Andrew Birley, director of excavations for the Vindolanda Trust, said in a statement, 'but the beautifully carved figure vividly reminds us that Roman forts were not simply utilitarian, they had grandeur and, of course, the symbolism was a vital part of the culture here for the soldiers almost 2,000 years ago.' The excitement is greatest for the Quinlans, as they spent 21 years volunteering at the site before uncovering the artifact. 'We've spent the vast majority of our annual leave at Vindolanda over the years,' Dilys told the Guardian. 'As veteran diggers, it is without a doubt the most wonderful thing we've ever done and, importantly, it's something we do as a couple. It's the best form of relaxation that we know of. We eat well, sleep well, we're in good company, and there's always more to learn. What more could you ask for?' Barbara Birley, the Vindolanda Trust's curator, said in a statement that Roman reliefs such as the one just found were often painted with vibrant colors, and 'it is highly likely that this stone would have originally been brightly painted. We will be working with our specialists to see if any traces of the pigment remain, so for now the relief is being stored unwashed, ready for that further analysis.' The find occurred near Hadrian's Wall. At over 18 inches tall, the carving may have been crafted to symbolize an end to local wars, and could have been a piece of a larger design—possibly one side of a larger, multi-sided relief. 'There is that sense of palpable excitement when you turn over the 2,000th piece of Roman rubble and you see on the other side the face of a goddess staring right back at you,' Andrew Birley said. 'What you get there is a direct connection. It's almost like you're toughing the past and all those years melt way, which is just wonderful. 'I am also delighted for Jim and Dilys for their discovery,' Andrew Birley said. 'It is just reward for their 21 years of hard work and dedication to this site.' Following analysis, the trust plans to display the relief in 2026 at the Vindolanda Museum. The Greeks may have their goddess Nike, but the folks at Vindolanda—especially the Quinlans—will happily take the Roman victory. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
