Stone Age sandals show ancient people made fashion mistakes.

Stone Age sandals show ancient people made fashion mistakes.

Stone Age Fashion: The Surprising Origins of Sandals

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In a remote bat cave near Granada, Spain, miners made an unexpected discovery in the 19th century: a burial site belonging to hunter-gatherers. Among the items found were baskets, a mallet, and sets of sandals. Recent research has confirmed that these sandals could be as old as 6,200 years, shedding light on the fashion choices of our ancient ancestors.

The study, published in Science Advances, reveals that these sandals could be some of the earliest iterations of the utilitarian footwear we know today. The dating of these ancient artifacts provides evidence of basketry in hunter-gatherer communities during the Mesolithic and early Neolithic periods. This period marked the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to an agrarian society, where agriculture began to dominate.

A team of researchers from the University of Alcalá and the Autonomous University of Barcelona analyzed a total of 76 objects discovered in the bat cave known as Cueva de los Murcielagos. Previously, bones found in the same cave were determined to have been modified as tools and drinking cups. Using carbon-14 dating, the researchers determined that the sandals and other objects were between 6,200 and 9,500 years old.

While evidence of basketry dates back thousands of years, it is not often associated with Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities. The discovery challenges the assumption that sophisticated craftsmanship only emerged with the advent of agriculture.

“The quality and technological complexity of the basketry makes us question the simplistic assumptions we have about human communities prior to the arrival of agriculture in southern Europe,” remarked Francisco Martínez Sevilla, a researcher from the University of Alcalá.

The sandals themselves were made from crushed esparto grass, which provided flexibility. One pair even had a small group of fibers resembling a strap that could fit between the first and second toes, similar to modern flip-flops. Another interesting feature was a braid fixed to the middle of the sandal, likely intended to secure it around the ankle.

According to the study, this set of sandals represents the earliest and most extensive collection of prehistoric footwear found in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe as a whole. Some of the sandals showed signs of wear, while others appeared unused. This suggests that certain individuals had prepared clothing for their burial, indicating the presence of cultural practices related to fashion and personal appearance.

María Herrero Otal, a researcher and co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of the esparto grass objects from Cueva de los Murciélagos. She referred to them as the oldest and best-preserved set of plant fiber materials in southern Europe, demonstrating the prehistoric communities’ mastery of craftsmanship in the Mesolithic period, at least 9,500 years ago.

It’s fascinating to consider that even in the Stone Age, our ancestors were concerned with footwear and personal style. These ancient sandals offer a glimpse into the early roots of human creativity and adornment. And while the debate of wearing sandals with socks may be a modern fashion offense, it seems our forebears had yet to commit this fashion faux pas.