Archaeologists excavating a Roman-era fort in northern England have unearthed several enormous ancient leather soles that measure more than 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) long.
The finds add to the archaeologists' growing collection of supersized ancient footwear found at the ancient fort, known as Magna. The researchers now have eight of these extra-extra-large shoes — a quarter of the total found at the site.
The shoes were discovered at Magna — also known as Carvoran — a fort along Hadrian's Wall, which was built around A.D. 122 to demarcate the northern extent of the Roman Empire. Magna is situated about 7 miles (11 kilometers) west of Vindolanda, the large Roman auxiliary fort that's well known for the remarkable preservation of writing tablets, military medals and leather shoes.
Jay - 6mon
I wonder if they were some form of "outerwear" that you would wear over your normal footwear in the cold.
What are you all laughing about?? Stop it at once!!!
3
idiomaddict @lemmy.world - 6mon
11.8 inches. Damn, that’s almost a foot!
14
Whirling_Ashandarei @lemmy.world - 6mon
Giants were real, there is NO POSSIBLE OTHER EXPLANATION!!!1!
fucking /s bc internet
9
bear @lemmy.blahaj.zone - 6mon
The article says they are basketball player sized.
Maybe they were sending really big soldiers to the front. This is near the peak of the Roman empire, which spanned multiple continents and had over 100 million people.
8
Zos_Kia - 6mon
Romans were (justifiably) terrified of Picts and Caledonians who were tall, strong, and very barbaric in appearance. It makes sense that they'd send their beefcakes up there to sort of even out the odds.
2
Redfox8 - 6mon
'Barbaric'. A Roman word, possibly from the Romans saying about foreigners, along the lines of, "they were all like, "ba ba ba ba ba", I couldn't understand a thing they were saying". "They're ba ba barians! What do you expect".
So being a 'Barbarian' is not about vicious behaviour, rather simply being a foreigner to Romans casts a person as being called that. It's essentially rascism.
And yes, they were terrified of them, in large part because Rome was well and truly sacked! (Can't remember who by now). An act that ironically spurred the creation of the famous Roman empire.
1
shalafi @lemmy.world - 6mon
How is this a big (heh) deal? I wear an 8.5 shoe and my feet are 10". If I measured my boots, they would be close enough to having 12" soles.
7
Cypher @lemmy.world - 6mon
Nutrition was harder to come by and people were generally shorter, these are notable for being very large shoes for the time period.
14
Pilferjinx @lemmy.world - 6mon
That's a great point. Was there an elite royal guard situation around that time they bred and fed well?
3
Davel23 - 6mon
RSOESes? I don't think they exist.
7
Stepos Venzny - 6mon
Why these feet were nearly a foot long!
3
wetbeardhairs @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 6mon
You know what they say about Romans with big feet....
3
Gorram_Reavers @lemmy.world - 6mon
Big shoes
10
boydster - 6mon
To Romans, roads were but narrow foot trails.
3
otter - 6mon
Peens like grapes?
1
Treczoks @lemmy.world - 6mon
OK, 11.8 inches, that is 29.972cm or 45.41 Paris Stiches, i.e. European size 45. That's big, yes, but is it really that extraordinary?
Given that overall size and shoe size are roughly correlated, maybe they just had a kind of "elite group" of large warriers to intimidate the Picts? Or maybe one large guy, high enough in the ranks to be able to afford more than a single pair of Caligae?
2
m0darn @lemmy.ca - 5mon
My guess is that they were sized to fit over extra thick foot wraps.
2
Treczoks @lemmy.world - 5mon
That, too. I mean, in the end they are caligae, sandals. Not exactly the stuff you'll usually wear up at Hadrians Wall, especially during the winter. So wrapping a lambs fur around the feet will take the shoe European size 45 down to feet European size 40 to 42.
1
otter - 6mon
And here I thought one Caligula was too many.
1
dunz @feddit.nu - 6mon
It's not that big? My shoes are one EU size larger, and just small enough that I don't have to order specialty shoes. That starts at 47 and above. 46 are usually made for most models
2
teolan @lemmy.world - 6mon
Possibly very big at the time. Over the course of the last century we have grown a lot and the average height is much higher because we're eating much more. I suppose feet size have also increased.
3
otter - 6mon
Oh, poor chivalrous giant, ηΩδΩρ. Always the gentleman, getting the door since way back.
throws_lemy in archaeology
8 ancient Roman shoes of 'exceptional size' discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/8-ancient-roman-shoes-of-exceptional-size-discovered-at-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wallI wonder if they were some form of "outerwear" that you would wear over your normal footwear in the cold.
Biggus Dickus?
This must be just a setup to a historic big dick joke.
https://www.livescience.com/roman-penis-graffiti-stone-uk
What are you all laughing about?? Stop it at once!!!
11.8 inches. Damn, that’s almost a foot!
Giants were real, there is NO POSSIBLE OTHER EXPLANATION!!!1!
fucking /s bc internet
The article says they are basketball player sized.
Maybe they were sending really big soldiers to the front. This is near the peak of the Roman empire, which spanned multiple continents and had over 100 million people.
Romans were (justifiably) terrified of Picts and Caledonians who were tall, strong, and very barbaric in appearance. It makes sense that they'd send their beefcakes up there to sort of even out the odds.
'Barbaric'. A Roman word, possibly from the Romans saying about foreigners, along the lines of, "they were all like, "ba ba ba ba ba", I couldn't understand a thing they were saying". "They're ba ba barians! What do you expect".
So being a 'Barbarian' is not about vicious behaviour, rather simply being a foreigner to Romans casts a person as being called that. It's essentially rascism.
Source: Terry Jones' Barbarians
I even found link to the whole book! https://archive.org/details/terryjonesbarbar00jone
And yes, they were terrified of them, in large part because Rome was well and truly sacked! (Can't remember who by now). An act that ironically spurred the creation of the famous Roman empire.
How is this a big (heh) deal? I wear an 8.5 shoe and my feet are 10". If I measured my boots, they would be close enough to having 12" soles.
Nutrition was harder to come by and people were generally shorter, these are notable for being very large shoes for the time period.
That's a great point. Was there an elite royal guard situation around that time they bred and fed well?
RSOESes? I don't think they exist.
Why these feet were nearly a foot long!
You know what they say about Romans with big feet....
Big shoes
To Romans, roads were but narrow foot trails.
Peens like grapes?
OK, 11.8 inches, that is 29.972cm or 45.41 Paris Stiches, i.e. European size 45. That's big, yes, but is it really that extraordinary?
Given that overall size and shoe size are roughly correlated, maybe they just had a kind of "elite group" of large warriers to intimidate the Picts? Or maybe one large guy, high enough in the ranks to be able to afford more than a single pair of Caligae?
My guess is that they were sized to fit over extra thick foot wraps.
That, too. I mean, in the end they are caligae, sandals. Not exactly the stuff you'll usually wear up at Hadrians Wall, especially during the winter. So wrapping a lambs fur around the feet will take the shoe European size 45 down to feet European size 40 to 42.
And here I thought one Caligula was too many.
It's not that big? My shoes are one EU size larger, and just small enough that I don't have to order specialty shoes. That starts at 47 and above. 46 are usually made for most models
Possibly very big at the time. Over the course of the last century we have grown a lot and the average height is much higher because we're eating much more. I suppose feet size have also increased.
Oh, poor chivalrous giant, ηΩδΩρ. Always the gentleman, getting the door since way back.
Romans had a troop of clowns at Hadrian's wall.
Ancestors of Maximinus Thrax?
Biggus Footus?