This is it. Looks like a coarsely knitted sock to me.
Posted on 08/26/2003 2:16:59 PM PDT by Antiwar Republican
London Times August 26, 2003 The sandal? Roman Britons put a sock in it too By Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent WHAT did the Romans ever do for us? Well, they may have started us on a fashion crime for which we are mocked in the rest of Europe to this day: wearing socks with sandals. An archaeological discovery in London suggests that the sartorial solecism was afoot almost 2,000 years ago. A life-size bronze foot, unearthed last month and dated to the 2nd century AD, clearly shows that Roman Britons wore socks with their sandals. No doubt their excuse was the cold. The historian Tacitus, writing at that time, describes the British weather as "absolutely foul". Nansi Rosenberg, senior archaeological consultant at E.C. Harris, which is managing the excavation of a three-acre temple complex in Southwark, said: "In the Mediterranean, they had the good sense to wear sandals with open toes, but they couldn’t cope with temperatures here and kept their socks on. "It’s horribly embarrassing. Why did the British Romans have to wear socks? They disgraced themselves. I have a horrible image of them wearing big stripy leggings. This is an unexpected find." Archaeologists are convinced the sculpted foot is wearing a sock because there is no indication of the modelling of toes or of any cleft between them. Even allowing for corrosion, it is clear that the straps go across the foot, rather than through the toes. Finds of life-size Roman bronze statuary in Britain are extremely rare. The foot may have belonged to a statue of the god Mars Camulos, worshipped in northern France and Britain. The archaeologists have found an inscription bearing his name at the site. Alternatively, it may have come from a statue of an emperor. "The thing is," Ms Rosenberg observed, "archaeologists are traditionally known for wearing socks with their sandals."
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
I always wear socks with my sandals when I have slacks on but never when wearing shorts.
This is it. Looks like a coarsely knitted sock to me.
Interesting look at Roman footwear here:
http://members.tripod.com/romeartlover/Feet.html
Not knitted. Done with a needle and thread in a technique nowadays called naalbinding. It can look very much like knitting,although it doesn't have to.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.