This Roman soldier put his foot in it!

[Neil]

By Sarah Griffiths   Published: 1 July 2015


The Romans may have marched across Britain and left many impressive monuments, but few of their footprints remain.

Now, a Roman tile bearing a clear imprint of a naked foot has been discovered close to Hadrian’s Wall.

A Roman tile bearing a clear imprint of a naked foot has been discovered close to Hadrian’s Wall. It’s the first human footprint to have been found at the fortified settlement of Vindolanda and is thought to have been made 2,000 years ago

The size of the partial print of a right foot indicates it was made by a teenager between 160 and 180 AD, either by accident or as an act of mischief.

Although it has not been confirmed that the teenager was a soldier, men were able to join the military between the ages of 16 to 50.

The tile was found by Mel Benard,a volunteer and student from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

She said: ‘This was the first artefact that I had found, I knew straight away that it was a footprint.

'It is so exciting to have discovered something which links you directly to that individual nearly 2,000 years later’.

Many thousands of tiles have been unearthed at Vindolanda, the fortified settlement (ruins shown) near the modern village of Bardon Mill in Northumberlan


WHAT IS VINDOLANDA AND WHAT WAS ITS ROLE IN ROMAN BRITAIN? 

Vinolanda is a Roman fort south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England.

Soldiers stationed there guarded the Roman road from the River Tyne to Solway Firth.

Wooden tablets were discovered there which are considered the most important examples of military and private correspondence found anywhere in the Roman Empire.

The garrison was home to auxiliary infantry and cavalry units - not parts of Roman legions.

Roman boots, shoes, armours, jewellery, coins and tablets have all been found there.

In 2006, a richly-decorated silver brooch featuring the figure of Mars was found.

It belonged to Quintus Sollonius, a Gaul, whose name was inscribed on the brooch.


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Co-Director of the University Field School, Dr Elizabeth Greene, said: ‘This find is really extraordinary.

‘It brings full circle the story that Vindolanda has to tell.

Many thousands of tiles have been unearthed at the fortified settlement near the modern village of Bardon Mill in Northumberland.

Romans were stationed there to be close to Hadrian’s Wall where they defended their land from the Picts and guarded a Roman road named Stangate that ran from the River Tyne to Solway Firth.

Some tiles found there occasionally have imprints left behind by animals than ran over them while they were drying.

Last year the university’s field school excavated a tilery at the site and Dr Alexander Meyer noted the date of the tile with the footprint matches that of the kiln site.

This means that a worker there may have made the impression.

He said: ‘I imagine the boy or girl who stepped in this newly produced tile was in more than a little trouble’.

Over 6,000 leather shoes have previously been found at the ancient site, lending a certain irony to the fact the only human footprint found there is bare.

A team of archaeologists in Israel have also recently discovered a Roman footprint, although theirs reveals the details of Roman soldiers’ shoes, including the shoe’s hobnail construction.

A number of prints were discovered at the Hippos-Sussita archaeological site east of the Sea of Galilee in Israel.

Excavation Director Michael Eisenberg told MailOnline that it's rare for the prints to be found in mortar, but footprints have been found on dozens of bricks and roof tiles elsewhere.

Over 6,000 leather shoes have previously been found at the ancient site in Northumberland (marked on the map), lending a certain irony to the fact the only human footprint found there is bare

Last year the university’s filed school excavated a tilery at the site (pictured from above) and Dr Alexander Meyer noted the date of the tile with the footprint matches that of the kiln site

Describing the site, he said: 'There were several imprints made by the iron nails (hobnails) of caligae soles - the standard footwear of the Roman army from the first century BC until the beginning of the 2nd century AD.'

All soldiers were equipped with tough caligae shoes, from ordinary members of legions to centurions, which resemble modern day sandals but were built to be tough.

The excavations at Vindolanda will continue until 25 September and the tile will go on display at the Vindolanda museum, once it’s been researched and preserved.

[probono]

I've seen a few of these with cat and dog paws, but not a foot before - it makes these things much more real - very stubby toes though!

I remember when my parents had a private dig, we found a Samian ware bowl which had the potter's fingerprints on it - and as one of our digging friend's son was a policeman they made a bit of it in their local magazine trying to take a set of prints from the bowl. I'll have to see if I can find a picture / link to an article somewhere.

[Val Beechey]

It is a bit special finding something like that. I have a piece of pot with a patterned bottom rim. You can clearly see the finger marks where the clay  was pinched to make the pattern.
I remember thinking how amazing that was as I do the same pattern now when I make a fruit pie.

I do wonder though if it was a Roman soldier who trod on the tile. I thought they wore shoes ! Nice to think it was I s’pose.

Thanks for posting Neil

[celticspikey]

Thanks for posting Neil. Val I'd love to see one of your fruit pies with your print around the pie edge, if I let you have my adress feel free to forward it, don't worry about custard I got some... .......Preferably Apple.