Summary

Roman shoe or calceus of leather, with elaborate hobnail pattern, from the Roman site at Newstead, 80 - 180 AD

Accession Number

X.FRA 94

Other references

Original description

NEWSTEAD COLLECTION. Shoe with heart-shaped holes for the latchet + a circular tab at the back, nails set in pattern on sole, 10" long. [MoS description] Skins off their backs. Making things from leather. Making shoes. (5) Multi-piece shoe, Newstead. 80 - 180 AD. [Scran caption] This leather shoe with iron hobnails was found during excavations at the site of the Roman fort of Newstead in Roxburghshire. It is a type known as a calceus or caliga, and dates from between 80 and 180 AD. The nails used to attach the soles to the layers have been hammered in an elaborate pattern. On some shoes the patterns appear to be designed to allow comfortable walking. There is a heart-shaped hole for the latchet and a circular tab at the back. The Roman calceus and caliga were made from three pieces of leather - an upper, a sole and an insole - nailed together with hobnails. The caliga, the legionary sandal, had an upper consisting of many thongs. The upper of the calceus was tied by thongs. Date: Between 80 and 180 AD. Material: Leather, iron. Dimensions: Length: 25.4 cm.

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