Archaeologists have discovered two remarkably well-preserved Roman shoes that have been buried for over 2,000 years.
The volunteers working at Magna fort in Northumberland made the extraordinary discovery, with the leather footwear retaining its shape remarkably well.
One of the shoes proved particularly noteworthy due to its exceptional size.
A volunteer called Jo discovered the initial shoe, which "seems to have all of its sole layers intact," according to the Roman Army Museum.
One of the shoes is believed to be between a UK 12 and 14
Roman Army MuseumThe heel remains connected to the footwear, while hobnails are still embedded in the outer sole.
Museum officials explained that the discovery reveals ancient construction methods, suggesting: "Multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with thongs [leather strips], stitching and hobnails."
The museum noted: "These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe."
Though the toe section was absent, preventing exact size determination, officials observed it "would have been a large shoe when complete".
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The discovery of a second piece of footwear "immediately drew impressed gasps" from volunteers and staff archaeologists.
"Although in this case [it was] only one of the several sole layers, the sheer size of the shoe and guesses about who could have worn it dominated the conversation," the Roman Army Museum said.
The shoe measured 32 centimetres in length, corresponding to a UK men's size 12-14.
Museum officials speculated whether "this one [would] be the largest in the Vindolanda Trust collection? We certainly look forward to finding out".
The discovery of a second piece of footwear 'immediately drew impressed gasps'
Roman Army Museum
The Roman fort at Magna was constructed around 80AD, several decades before the building of Hadrian's Wall, the famous defensive barrier that protected Roman Britannia's northern frontier from the Picts.
The site is situated near the historic wall in Northumberland.
Jo, who found the first shoe, said: "It's always exciting to find anything that hasn't been touched for 2,000 years, but a shoe is such a personal item."
The excavation team also uncovered pottery shards, tent pegs and various other artefacts, though the footwear discoveries captured the most attention.
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