Found 'brand name' shoes 5,500 years old

For more than 5,500 years, the world's oldest "shoe" was discovered in Armenia, well preserved to the point that the ties were intact. Shoe material can reveal the owner's standard of living.

This ancient shoe was discovered by an Armenian physics student, Diana Zardaryan, along with a broken vase and some sheep horns.

As a product of the 'dawn' of human civilization, this size 4 shoe was created from a piece of cowhide 1,000 years before the Giza pyramid was born and sewn with leather thread.

Archaeologists say the shoe may belong to a woman buried in a cave under a mysterious ritual. There were three vases in the cave, each containing a baby skull and boxes containing barley seeds, wheat and apricot seeds.

The shoe is up to 5,500 years old.

For Dr. Ron Pinhasi, Cork University, Ireland, this shoe is a discovery of the century.'At first we thought that this shoe and other things were only about 600-700 years old because they were still intact. But when I found out that the shoe appeared from 3,500 BC (5,500 years ago), I can confirm this is the world's oldest leather shoe , 'he said.

According to archaeologists, this shoe is the property of the first generation of farmers living in the mountains of Vayotz Dzor province, Armenia, near the border with Turkey and Iran today. It is made from a piece of cowhide, dyed with vegetable oil and fits snugly on the feet of the person. Based on the material that could be identified, the shoe was made to serve the upper class in Armenian society at that time.

Inside that shoe has grass, but archaeologists are unsure whether the grass is used to keep warm or maintain the shape of the shoe.

Entrance to the cave, where an ancient shoe was found in Armenia.

It is the dry and cool conditions in the cave that help preserve the shoe, which is buried under the earth over time. The surface of the cave is covered by a thick layer of sheep dung, an element that helps the shoe and other objects remain intact.

The climate of Armenia 5,500 years ago is similar to today, hot in summer and snowy in winter. The owner of the shoe may have worn leather and wool clothes and shoes to protect the feet while walking in areas with rough rocky terrain.

'We do not know what the shoe and other items are in the cave for. The shoe can be made here or from nearby villages, 'added Dr. Pinhasi.

Source: Daily Mail