Leather, pointed shoes that, as if they had travelled inside a time capsule, come straight from the Middle Ages. They probably belonged to a sailor aboard a ship that was found in Lootsi, near the harbour of the old city of Tallinn, Estonia. The vessel is extraordinarily well preserved and has been ranked among the largest in Europe. Scholars have established that the wood used to make the ship dates back to 1360. Inside the ship were many objects. In particular, a leather shoe caught the attention of scholars.
Straight from the Middle Ages
Archaeologist Priit Lätti of the Estonian Maritime Museum released the results of his study of a medieval sea wreck that came to light in 2022 in Lootsi. The vessel is dated 1360 and is very well preserved and held various objects, including navigational instruments, leather shoes and weapons.
The leather shoe
A study took a close look at the leather shoes and discovered that the shoes were very worn. Some showed signs of “rough, but functional repair”. From the analysis they underwent, it was assumed that the shoes were not on the ship to be sold, but because they belonged to the sailors. The researchers proposed the probability that the crew had to leave the ship in a hurry, perhaps because it was involved in an accident or for another serious reason. Everything, in fact, was in a state of chaos evident even almost seven centuries later.
A second ship
According to Stilearte, Priit Lätti hinted at the existence of a second, even older ship found in the same area. But there is no hurry to bring it to light as the wreck is excellently preserved in the condition it is in. So, the evolution of technology will allow the recovery of even more precise information. Perhaps on other leather shoes.
Image from news.err.ee
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- Neanderthals used to hunt lions and use the hides
