Discovery of Exceptionally Large Roman Shoes at Magna Fort Near Hadrian’s Wall!
Archaeologists working at Magna, also known as Carvoran, a Roman fort situated near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England, have made a fascinating discovery: a large collection of ancient leather shoes, many of which are surprisingly big.
Among the 32 shoes uncovered in the fort’s northern defensive ditches, around a quarter measure over 30 centimetres (11.8 inches) in length. This includes a record-breaking sole length of 32.6 cm (12.8 inches), the largest ever found in the Vindolanda Trust’s extensive archive of Roman footwear.
Photo Credit: The Vindolanda Trust
The excavation at Magna is part of a five-year research initiative spearheaded by the Vindolanda Charitable Trust, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Magna lies just 11 kilometres west of Vindolanda, a site renowned for its extraordinary collection of well-preserved artefacts, among them over 5,000 pairs of ancient shoes. While Vindolanda’s shoes range from tiny baby booties to robust military boots, only a mere 0.4% of its 3,704 measured shoes exceed 30 cm. The findings at Magna, however, tell a different story, with many shoes falling into an extra-extra-large (XXL) category.
The boots were recovered from waterlogged, oxygen-poor conditions at the bottom of Magna’s deep defensive trenches, known as “ankle-breakers” because they were designed to trip and injure attackers. These anaerobic conditions are perfect for preserving organic materials like leather, allowing the shoes to survive nearly 2,000 years.
Dr Elizabeth Greene, Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario and an expert on Roman footwear, noted: “Even from this relatively small sample, it’s clear these shoes are significantly larger on average than most found at Vindolanda. Even considering possible shrinkage of up to 1 cm during conservation, these shoes remain exceptionally large.”
Photo Credit: The Vindolanda Trust
Magna predates Hadrian’s Wall and once hosted a diverse military garrison, including Syrian archers, Dalmatians, Batavians, and legionaries from the Second Augusta and Twentieth Valeria Victrix legions. The variety in shoe sizes could reflect physical differences between these groups or differing supply and cultural habits.
Rachel Frame, Senior Archaeologist on the Magna Project, highlighted the value of such organic discoveries: “They capture the imagination of both visitors and volunteers, but are also highly vulnerable to damage from our changing climate.” She stressed the need for ongoing support to protect these priceless artefacts.
Dr Andrew Birley, Director of Excavations and CEO of the Vindolanda Trust, remarked: “This discovery underscores what’s at risk if climate change continues to destroy vital archaeological evidence. It reminds us that not all Roman populations were the same, and that the wide variations seen in regiments along Hadrian’s Wall may have been shaped by both cultural and physical differences.”