A significant archaeological discovery has been made near Hadrian’s Wall in northern Britain, where archaeologists have uncovered a collection of unusually large shoes at the site of a first-century military fort known as Magna Fort. This find raises intriguing questions about the physical characteristics and lifestyles of the soldiers who once inhabited this strategic location along the Roman Empire’s northwestern frontier.
Among the 34 pieces of footwear unearthed in May, eight pairs measure over 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) in length, corresponding to a modern US men’s size 13.5 or larger. This size contrasts sharply with the average ancient shoe found at a nearby Roman fort, which typically measures around a US men’s size 8. The discovery suggests that exceptionally tall soldiers may have been stationed at this outpost, possibly reflecting a unique aspect of the Roman military presence in the region.
Rachel Frame, a senior archaeologist leading the excavation, noted the initial surprise at finding such large footwear. “When the first large shoe started to come out of the ground, we were looking for many explanations,” she stated. “But as we found more of them and different styles, it does seem to be that these were just people with really large feet.”
Exploring the Fort’s History
The Magna Fort, believed to have been established around AD 85, served as a home for various Roman military troops and their families over the years. Inscriptions found at the site indicate that soldiers from diverse regions, including Syrians, Croatians, and Batavians, resided there, although the duration of their stay remains unclear. Troops often left the fort for distant campaigns, discarding personal items such as shoes and clothing in the surrounding area.
Frame explained that as new occupants arrived, they commonly constructed larger edifices over the existing fort, which led to the preservation of older items buried beneath layers of rubble. Dr. Elizabeth Greene, an associate professor of classics at the University of Western Ontario, emphasized the importance of such discarded items for understanding daily life in ancient times. “As archaeologists, we like trash,” she remarked, noting that these remnants provide invaluable insights into the lives of those who lived and worked at the fort.
The shoes discovered at Magna share similarities with those excavated from the nearby Vindolanda Fort, a site that has been extensively studied since the 1970s. Both collections feature footwear made from thick cowhide leather, secured with iron hobnails. Greene, who has analyzed numerous shoes from Vindolanda, pointed out that the survival of the Magna shoes may be attributed to ancient tanning methods that created a protective coating.
Implications of Size and Climate Challenges
The extraordinary size of the Magna shoes suggests that their owners were likely taller than the average Roman soldier. Historical records indicate that ideal recruits typically measured between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 9 inches in height. Rob Collins, a professor of frontier archaeology at Newcastle University, highlighted the diversity of the soldiers stationed at Hadrian’s Wall, who came from various parts of the vast Roman Empire, potentially contributing to the presence of taller individuals.
Frame and her team plan to analyze the shoes further, looking for signs of wear that could help identify their owners. Any foot impressions found could provide a model of the feet of the original wearers, but linking these shoes to human remains might be complicated. The Romans often cremated their dead, making it challenging to find skeletal evidence associated with the fort.
In addition to the shoes, pottery and other artifacts uncovered at the site will assist researchers in dating the layers of occupation. However, Frame expressed concern about the impact of climate change on their excavation efforts. The leather artifacts found at Magna are deteriorating more rapidly than those at Vindolanda due to changing soil conditions.
“The more our climate changes, the more we get heat waves and droughts, or months’ worth of rain in one weekend,” Frame explained. In rich, oxygenated soil, microbial activity increases decay, leading to the erosion of organic materials. This situation amplifies the urgency of their excavation work at Magna Fort.
Frame remains committed to uncovering the stories of ordinary individuals from the past. “I’m not saying I don’t get excited about the shiny objects and precious treasures,” she said, “but for me, archaeology is about the story of everybody else… the stories of the people whose lives weren’t written down.” By studying these personal items, researchers hope to bring the lives of ancient Romans back into focus.
