Summary

Roman shoe or calceus of leather, with oval latchet holes, from the Roman site at Newstead, 90 - 110 AD

Accession Number

X.FRA 78

Other references

Original description

NEWSTEAD COLLECTION. Boot with large oval holes for the latchet, 10 1/2" long. Updated from SCRAN full data set, December 1998. [MoS description] Bloodshed, weapons and heroes. Roman military equipment. Legionary or auxiliary. Changing shoe fashions. (10) Shoe, AD 90 - 110, 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 90 and 110 AD. A variety of shoes have been found in Roman Britain, included examples where the soles were nailed or stitched to the bottom layers, sandals and one-piece shoes. Surviving where conditions are favourable, they show changing fashions over time. Date: Between 90 and 110 AD. Material: Leather. Dimensions: Length: 26.7 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