Finding ancient artifacts is always a big deal for researchers, but some things are more important than others, and occasionally, something is found that also catches the eye of regular people. That is what happened at a dig site known as Magna.

Lots of things were found at this location, which was where an ancient fort existed. The fort was between two large Roman roads called Maiden Way and the Stanegate. It was built around 80 CE and positioned near Hadrian’s Wall, which was considered the northern border of the Roman Empire at the time.

The most interesting find at this site was the sole of a leather shoe that would have almost certainly been worn by a Roman soldier stationed here. Any shoe like this is of interest, but this was is getting a lot of attention because of its size. The sole measured 32 centimeters (12.6 inches) in length, which is quite big for a shoe even by today’s standards.

If the soldier were shopping for shoes today, he would have to find a pair that was somewhere between size 13-15 US (12-14 UK). The shoe was made with multiple layers of leather that were connected with thongs. The stitches in the shoes also had hobnails to form the sole, making a very rugged and durable shoe that could provide lasting protection to the person wearing them.

While this soldier likely knew that he had a good pair of shoes on his feet, he would have been shocked to learn that they would last nearly 2000 years! Of course, most of that time, they would sit buried at this site, waiting for modern researchers to come across them.

Check out a video of some of the shoes that they found there!

The excavation at this location also turned up a fine-toothed wooden comb, some wooden tent pegs, and pieces of pottery, all of which help to add to the information that archeologists and historians use to understand what life was like on the edges of the Roman Empire during this time.

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