There is one place where we never, ever expected to find remnants of leather: in a bearded vulture nest. but some researchers have found a relic: espadrilles. This gives us further proof how the properties and durability of leather aren’t only appreciated by humans. The things this shoe must have seen.
Seven centuries of mystery
Biologist Sergio Couto of the University of Granada went in search of the nests of bearded vultures, also known as bearded vultures, among the rarest of species, and the study was published in the prestigious journal Ecology. The team of researchers analyzed 12 abandoned nests of this bone-feeding specimen. A bit of everything was found in the nests, but the most curious, and historically significant item, was a leather espadrille dating back seven centuries (late 13th century). A piece of tanned and painted leather dating to the same period that resembles a mask has also been found.
The rationale
“Vultures use the materials to build or repair the nest and protect the chicks during incubation”, Antoni Margalida, lead author of the study and CSIC researcher at the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, explains to El Pais. In short, even the bird has realized the property of the leather, its function and durability. Not surprisingly, the found espadrille survived many more years than the family of vultures that had brought it to their nest.
Background
The research confirms a well-known truth: both footwear and tanned leather are two inventions that have accompanied our species for centuries. Their durability is almost unexpected. In Revista del Calzado, the finding of pieces of leather in bearded vulture nests is reminiscent of the shoe from Areni Cave in Armenia, which is today a common model.
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