Prehistoric Plimsoles! Europe’s Oldest Shoes Discovered in Spanish Bat Cave Dating Back 6,000 Years
By Wiliam Hunter For Mailonline | Published: 13:56 BST, 29 September 2023 | Updated: 13:56 BST, 29 September 2023
Scientists have made an astonishing discovery of Europe’s oldest shoes, remarkably well-preserved after lying inside a Spanish bat cave for over 6,000 years. The prehistoric plimsoles were found alongside intricately-woven baskets and wooden artifacts, highlighting the surprising skill and craftsmanship of our neolithic ancestors.
The oldest shoe, a sandal woven out of a fiber called esparto grass, bears a striking resemblance to the modern-day Espadrille shoe. Dating back to the neolithic period, this makes the shoe even older than the 5,500-year-old leather shoe discovered in Armenia in 2008.
The cave, known as Cueva de los Murciélagos, was first accessed in 1831 by a farmer collecting nitrogen-rich guano (bat droppings) to use as fertilizer. Carbon dating revealed that the artifacts were around 2,000 years older than previously estimated.
Researchers discovered that some of the 76 objects found in the cave were created up to 9,500 years ago, providing the first direct evidence of basket making among early hunter-gatherer societies. This discovery opens a window of opportunity to understanding the last hunter-gatherer societies of the early Holocene, according to Martínez Sevilla, a researcher from the University of Alcalá Francisco.
In the 19th century, miners uncovered a hidden burial chamber within the cave after looting various archaeological treasures, including mummified corpses and the remains of 68 other individuals. This recent discovery is particularly exciting as artifacts made of natural materials like wood and grass rarely survive this long.
Due to the cave’s unique structure and location, a cool dry wind traveled through, keeping humidity low and preventing the spread of bacteria that might destroy these artifacts. Natural material discoveries are usually found in waterlogged areas or exposed to high heat, making these finds all the more impressive.
María Herrero Otal, a researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, said that the grass objects are “the oldest and best-preserved set of plant fiber materials in southern Europe so far known.” The technological diversity and treatment of the raw material demonstrate the ability of prehistoric communities to master craftsmanship, at least since 9,500 years ago in the Mesolithic period.
Other items, such as a set of woven baskets and simple wooden tools, including a mallet and pointed stick, were also found within the cave. This discovery sheds new light on the history of the Stone Age, a period marked by the original development of stone tools and encompassing more than 95% of human technological prehistory.
During the Stone Age, the pace of innovation in stone technology increased slightly, leading to smaller, more diverse toolkits. Later, during the Middle Stone Age, handaxes were made with exquisite craftsmanship. The Later Stone Age saw a rise in innovation and craftsmanship, with different groups adopting their own distinct cultural identities and ways of making things.
Europe’s oldest shoes provide a fascinating glimpse into the world of our neolithic ancestors and challenge our assumptions about early human communities. This remarkable discovery will continue to captivate scientists and historians as they unravel the mysteries of the past.
Source: Daily Mail
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