A team of archaeologists discovered the oldest shoes in Europe in a cave in Andalusia. The footwear, which dates back about 6,000 years, belonged to one of the first European civilizations of the Neolithic.
Throughout history, amazing discoveries have been made that have helped us better understand the world around us. From the discovery of new species of dinosaurs to archaeological treasures hidden in remote caves, which allow us to better understand history.
But one of the most recent that has caused a sensation is, without a doubt, that of the oldest shoes in Europe, which, according to experts, are about 6,000 years old. They were found in a bat cave in the province of Granada, Spain, where a group of miners previously discovered a burial chamber in the 19th century.
These surprisingly well-preserved shoes had been hidden in the cave for thousands of years. The archaeologists, who were amazed by its state of preservation, examined the piece and found that it is a sandal woven with a plant fiber called esparto, and that shows similarities with modern espadrilles.
Researchers believe that these shoes were worn by hunters during the Neolithic. The find is especially significant because it provides new information about the lives of early humans in Europe. It shows that they were already capable of creating complex, but above all durable objects.
The oldest footwear in Europe
In addition to the shoes, the scientists also found a set of esparto grass baskets with geometric designs and different sizes. These objects show the skill and creativity of the cave’s ancient inhabitants.
According to carbon-14 analysis, some of the artifacts belong to a much older era than previously thought. The results indicate that they are 9,500 years old.which represents a difference of 2,000 years with respect to previous estimates.
But that’s not all, there were also a series of wooden artifacts, such as a mallet for crushing food, as well as a sharp stick for digging or drilling and a cutting tool with a lithic blade.
Researcher Francisco Martínez Sevilla, from the University of Alcalá, stated that This discovery allows us to better understand the last hunter-gatherer societies of the early Holocene.. The simplistic idea of human communities before the arrival of agriculture in southern Europe is challenged.
In the end, the history of humanity is full of many mysteries and discoveries, so we still have a lot to explore about the origins and evolution of our species on the planet.