6thousand years old...the oldest shoe in Europe was discovered in a bat cave
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A mallet made of olive wood and two sandals
A new study has unveiled the oldest shoes in Europe after analyzing about 20 sandals made from the esparto weed, most of which appear to be children's, that were found among the remains of dozens of partially mummified bodies in a bat cave in the province of Granada, Spain.
These shoes were discovered at the Cueva de los Murciélagos de Albuñol site and looted by miners in the 19th century, but the new study has found that the objects found there are much older than thought.
The study reported that Neolithic farmers made espadrilles 6,200 years ago, that is, two thousand years earlier than previous studies suggested.
The research paper, led by Francisco Martinez Sevilla, an archaeologist from the University of Alcalá, and published in the journal Science Advances, stated: “This group of sandals represents the oldest and most extensive collection of prehistoric shoes, both in the Iberian Peninsula and in Europe, and is unparalleled.” In other latitudes,” according to what was reported by “The Times” website.
In turn, Maria Herrero Uttal, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and co-author of the study, told El País newspaper that only minor parts of the espadrilles found in the cave remain, but there are still straps of them similar to those similar to beach sandals.
The collective research conducted by about 20 scientists from different disciplines, from geology to history, analyzed 14 of the dozens of art objects found at the site. The four best-preserved ones are about 9,500 years old.
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“They are from the Mesolithic period, two thousand years before agriculture arrived in the area,” Martinez said.
Find baskets
In addition, the study indicated that the baskets found in the cave were also the oldest in Europe. The baskets, like everything else in the cave, had a funerary use.
“In summary, despite mining activity, this collection represents one of the oldest and best preserved collections of hunting and gathering baskets in southern Europe,” the study said.
Baskets found in the cave
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Baskets found in the cave
Ten years after the cave was plundered, Manuel Gongora y Martinez, a lawyer and archaeologist, recovered what he could, interviewed local residents, bought dozens of archaeological remains from them and determined that they dated back to prehistoric times.
“Anywhere else the baskets and sandals would have disappeared,” said José Antonio Lozano, a geologist and co-author of the study. “But there is no humidity in the cave because of the climate of the area and the topography and shape of the cave. It is unique in Europe.”
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It is noteworthy that the espadrilles found in a cave in southern Spain are the oldest known shoes discovered in Europe.
Prior to the research, the oldest known prehistoric shoes were found at a site in Armenia and dated back to 5,500 years ago. The ankle-high leather boots over plant-fibre sandals, worn by Ötzi, the "Iceman" discovered in the Alps, are 5,300 years old.
Source: websites