Archaeologists excavating a Roman fort in northern England have uncovered a puzzling trove of enormous ancient shoes—leaving experts stumped as to why these 2,000-year-old sandals are so much bigger than the rest. Since May, the team working at the fort known as Magna, just south of the former Roman Empire's northwest boundary, has uncovered eight shoes exceeding 11.8 inches in length—roughly equivalent to a modern men's size 14, per Smithsonian. A quarter of all shoes found at the fort so far exceed 11.8 inches, a much higher proportion than at the neighboring Roman fort of Vindolanda, where just 0.4% of shoes reach similar dimensions, per Live Science. The longest found at Magna is 12.8 inches long, equal to a men's size 17.
Magna's shoes, preserved in the region's oxygen-poor soil, appear robust, crafted from thick cowhide and studded with iron hobnails, per CNN. While shoes for children and adults have turned up in the dig, the large examples stand out, and the reason for them is still unclear. "We have to assume it's something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller—but we don't know," lead archaeologist Rachel Frame tells the BBC. Others have suggested that swollen feet, medical dressings, or extra socks could explain the need for larger sizes. Historical records do indicate that archers from Syria, possibly unaccustomed to the British chill, once lived at Magna. Researchers are now undertaking further analysis, including the examination of wear patterns.
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