The Roman Empire is famous for its vastness: it stretched from the marshes of England to the fertile crescents of the
Tigris and Euphrates in the Middle East. Roman armies conquered these expanses over the years and under different emperors, legions of soldiers set foot in the far reaches of the empire. These conquering armies set up camps to rule the outposts of the empire, bringing Roman military culture and artifacts to the locals.
Evidence of such cultural diffusion through conquest was recently discovered in Bavaria, Germany. An ancient Roman sandal, largely damaged but reconstructed with the aid of X-rays, testifies to the spread of military fashion among the local population.
The sandal was discovered near the town of Oberstimm in Bavaria, Germany. The site was once home to a military fort full of Roman soldiers, with civilian camps all around. The sandal was found in the last of them during excavations.
Ancient inhabitants walked the site between 60 and 130 AD. This is when the sandal entered the archaeological record. When it was discovered today, it consisted of two parts. Only the sole with nails and remnants of other material survived. To learn more about the sandal, archaeologists took an X-ray.
X-rays showed that the shoes were of a type known as caligi (caligwas) - half boots that covered the shins up to halfway, they were used by the military.
They had a stiff sole with spikes that provided traction. Many leather straps, as shown in the artist's drawing, were tied to encircle and protect the foot. This design would have been more comfortable for marching.
Photo: mymodernmet.com
By the end of the first century AD, the Roman army began using boots. However, apparently during the occupation of a fort in Bavaria, Roman military footwear spread to the local civilian population.
"The so-called caligi were mainly worn by Roman soldiers during the heyday of the Roman Empire," Amira Adailech, a spokeswoman for the Bavarian State Monuments Conservation Office (BLfD), said in a statement. "The find clearly shows that the habits, traditions, lifestyle and clothing that the Romans brought with them to Bavaria were adopted by the local population."
The remains of ancient Roman army-style sandals in Bavaria, Germany, demonstrate the scale and regional influence of the conquering armies.