World’s Oldest Leather Shoe Is Incredibly Well-Preserved

Entrance to Areni-1 cave near the town of Areni in southern Armenia. The cave is the location of the world’s oldest known winery and the world’s oldest known leather shoe was also discovered here. Image credit: Serouj
Armenian post-graduate student Diana Zardaryan discovered the leather shoe in the Areni-1 cave during excavations by an international team of archaeologists from Armenia, Ireland and the United States. It was found upside down at the base of a shallow, round-shaped, and plastered pit, hidden under an overturned broken Chalcolithic ceramic bowl. Goat horns and a broken pot were also found nearby, along with drinking cups excavated next to a set of ancient graves, suggesting that the site was used for funeral ceremonies and ritualistic practices. Excavations in the same area also found the world’s oldest wine-making site.

Normally, leather and plant materials degrade very quickly, so shoes of this age are rarely ever found. However, the roof of the Areni-1 cave collapsed at one point and the organic material below was preserved due to the sheep dung present, preventing fungi from destroying it.

“The cave environment kept it cool and dry, while the dung cemented the finds in,” Pinhasi explained.