Mystery Grows Over Discovery Of Sandals At Stone Age Burial Site

In a recent excavation at a cave in Spain, over 20 pairs of sandals were uncovered alongside a collection of wooden tools and some of Europe's earliest preserved basketry. According to reports, archaeologists have found what they think are Europe's oldest sandals, dating back about 6,200 years. These sandals were crafted from dried, crushed grass.

The utilisation of plant-based materials for clothing, tool crafting, and various artefacts by humans across centuries has been well-documented, but the perishable nature of these materials has resulted in their widespread decay.

Historians employed modern dating techniques to approximate the time of origin of these artefacts and gain insights into their creators. Their findings were published in the journal Science Advances in September 2023.

Unique Preservation Conditions

Select archaeological sites across the globe present unique preservation conditions that offer valuable insights into the lifestyles and cultures of our ancient forebears. One such site is the Cueva de los Murciélagos (Cave of Bats) in Albuñol, situated on the Granada coast of Spain. Initially rediscovered in the early 1830s by a local landowner, who initially mistook the guano-filled cavern for a valuable discovery, it later attracted miners in the 1850s who were seeking lead. Their explorations unveiled a concealed inner cavern containing archaeological remnants and partially mummified corpses.

The Timeline

Historians have determined that the collection of objects dates back to the early and middle Holocene period, 9,500 to 6,200 years ago. This new revelation provides the initial direct evidence of basketry created by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities in Southern Europe and a range of other organic tools associated with early Neolithic farming societies, including sandals and a wooden mace. Previously, all these items were thought to belong to the Neolithic period, characterised by a shift toward settled living, distinct from earlier hunting and gathering practices.

However, as per this recent research, it's more likely that some artefacts, such as the set of baskets, were crafted many centuries earlier during the Mesolithic period. Despite these discoveries, historians continue to question the creators of these items and their potential roles in ancient funerary practices. For instance, certain sandals exhibited signs of wear, while others appeared never to have been used, suggesting that individuals might have been buried with specific attire for the afterlife.