Discovery in the Salt Mine. Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old shoe

In an Iron Age salt mine A 2,100-year-old shoe was discovered in Thurnberg, Austria. According to a press release from the German Mining Museum on August 31, archaeologists were digging a tunnel there when a surprising discovery was made.

The small shoe is remarkably well preserved. The brown material from which it was made was cut in the middle, forming what looked like U-shaped hooks. It has been compared to contemporary ballet shoes, That’s what dancers wear.

The shoe also had marks on it, the press release said Remnants of handloom laces. Based on the specific lacing structure, archaeologists have identified the footwear as being developed in the 2nd century BC.

Dürrnberg is already reported on the museum’s website Discoveries were made In the form of leather shoes, however, the newly invented children’s shoe is unique in that Indicates the presence of children underground.

It is very well preserved due to the preserving effect of salt, which doesn’t happen very often – there have been some finds of this shape in other excavations. Organic materials usually decompose over time.

In the vicinity of this discovery A fragment of a spade and the remains of fur with lacing were also found, which may be a fragment of a fur hood. However, the researchers did not indicate whether this was in any way related to the invention of children’s shoes.

According to researchers The shoe roughly corresponds to a modern European size 30. Although this size is currently worn by children aged 5-6, archaeologists have not decided to determine the age of the shoe’s owner.

The tunnel excavation is part of a long-term research project at Turnberg, the announcement said. Researchers want to continue working to better understand the Iron Age people who once worked in the salt mines.