Summary

Roman shoe or calceus of leather, with pierced openwork, found at the Roman site at Newstead, 100 - 120 AD

Accession Number

X.FRA 77

Other references

Original description

NEWSTEAD COLLECTION. Lady's leather boot with pierced reticulated upper, 9 in. long. Updated from SCRAN full data set, December 1998. [MoS description] Bloodshed, weapons and heroes. Roman military equipment. Legionary or auxiliary. Changing shoe fashions. (11) Shoe, AD 100 - 120 AD, Newstead. [Scran caption] This leather shoe was found during excavations at the site of the Roman fort of Newstead in Roxburghshire. It is a type known as a calceus, and was worn between 100 and 120 AD. The shoe has a pierced, openwork upper. Although it appears very elaborate, it was the typical soldier's footwear of the time. The Roman calceus was made from three pieces of leather - an upper, a sole and an insole - nailed together with hobnails. The upper of the calceus was tied by thongs. Date: Between 100 and 120 AD. Material: Leather. Dimensions: Length: 22.9 cm. References - Clarke, D.V., Breeze, D.J., and Mackay, Ghillean. The Romans in Scotland. An introduction to the collections of the National Museums of Antiquities of Scotland. Edinburgh: National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, 1980, p 37.; Curle, J. A Roman frontier post and its people: the fort of Newstead. Glasgow: MacLehose, 1911, pp 150-3, Pl. XX.

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

Newstead Collection

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

1905

Method (e.g. excavation)

Excavated

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Newstead, Roxburghshire, Scotland, Northern Europe

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

1914

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Unknown

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Not recorded

Image