Hello, im the spanish maker of the caligae. I know that kind of hobnails are not correct but the caligae were made forthe march. I know the most of the time they walk by modern roads, were the conical hobnails work badly. So between the alternative to use nothing or flat headed nails, i have used the second to prolong life of the sole.
The pattern of hobnails is old, because the march were done in a III century bC context. The pattern of caligae itself its based in low caliga from Mainz, because is the older know. Probably at this time were more common to use calcei or perones, but the customer want caligae...
I have recently heard that roman soldiers in Britain did not wear caligae by the second half of the first century CE and that no caligae were found there from this period. Instead Romans are said to have been wearing kind of boots that keep the whole foot covered. Is that true?
Quote:I have recently heard that roman soldiers in Britain did not wear caligae by the second half of the first century CE and that no caligae were found there from this period. Instead Romans are said to have been wearing kind of boots that keep the whole foot covered. Is that true?
Multiple types of Calcei were found at Vindolanda, for instance. Best have a look at the website of martin Moser (http://sutor.jimbo.com) for a bit of info on shoes (and other leather items)
________________________________________ Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma CORBVLO and Fectio ALA I BATAVORUM
Quote:I have recently heard that roman soldiers in Britain did not wear caligae by the second half of the first century CE and that no caligae were found there from this period. Instead Romans are said to have been wearing kind of boots that keep the whole foot covered. Is that true?
According to the Archaeological evidence there are no"Caligae" as its currently defined by popular demand....
Strictly speaking you need to define "Caligae" though, as "Caligatus" were wearing closed boots in the first century as well and the term is still in use in Diocletians price edict much later...
ie: a type or style of shoe, or a shoe worn by particular profession in whatever the current style is etc... or perhaps "shoe for the use of infantrymen" :wink:
A type of basic shoe worn on the Antonine Wall this example from Crawford, other identical examples come from Rough Castle and Balmuildy, theres a good deal of variation in decoration and cut of the upper, so this is only one example of many variations...
Top: part of upper probably a shoe rather then boot and insole, outersole not shown but would have been larger.
Bottom:underside of insole showing filler and ruler for scale, size 37-38eu but likely has shrunk 10%+ so original size would be around 40-41eu.
[attachment=12885]Crawfordfort.JPG[/attachment]
Ivor
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
Quote:I have recently heard that roman soldiers in Britain did not wear caligae by the second half of the first century CE and that no caligae were found there from this period. Instead Romans are said to have been wearing kind of boots that keep the whole foot covered. Is that true?
No, that is not true. As noted above, the term caliga can mean different things at different times, but going by the common definition/usage (also here in this forum) of a 3-layered, openwork shoe, typically worn by Roman soldiers in the 1st cent AD and displayed on various grave stones, reliefs etc. of that period, there definitely are finds from at least one site in Britain which are dated to the second half of the 1st cent AD as per:
Driel-Murray, C. van: The Leatherwork from the Fort. in Cool, H.E.M. and Philo, C.: Roman Castleford Excavations 1974-85. Volume I: The Small Finds, Yorkshire Archaeology 4, Wakefield 1998. 285-303
I must admit that I am no specialist in the field of ancient footwear but these seem to be historically incorrect, at least for the 1st-2nd century AD. Perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
Also, I've seem at least one other group that used this kind of footwear.
In my previous post was referring to the second century hence the Antonine shoe, not the first, my bad.... ;-)
The latest date I know of for a Caliga (Robust heavily nailed multistrap sandal) is 80-100 AD from Newstead, though I do not know how reliable the dating is or on what its based..... bear in mind its probably rubbish and may have been very old when discarded.
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
I must admit that I am no specialist in the field of ancient footwear but these seem to be historically incorrect, at least for the 1st-2nd century AD. Perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
Also, I've seem at least one other group that used this kind of footwear.
For the time that they've chosen the early second century their fine, eg Fellboot from Vindolanda 90s Ad....
Closed boots exist at Castleford as well, dated to the 71-86 AD and are of the "Koln/Castlford" type but this type of Boot/shoe and the "Caligae" seem to die out in favour of different or modified types such as the Fellboots which have many variations.
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
The Example illustrated above from Newstead from 80-100ad was found during the excavation by Curle, where he describes it in some detail and as the only example found of this type, examples of the fellboot type and the Alledale type are also found at Newstead with Carbatinas and Calcai types being the norm:
It would suggest that Traditional Caligae were being replaced completely at this time by closed forms based on calcai construction, since this appears the same at Vindolanda (a single Caligae type boot from phase II 92-97ad is mentioned, though not apparantly a Caliga per se?), where Fellboot variations and Allendales seem to form the core of military footware, and that this transition must have occured sometime during the late 80s or early 90s ad......
references:
Curle 1911, A Roman Frontier Post and its People.
C. van Driel-Murray 1993, Vindolanda, The Early wooden Forts Vol3.
Ivor
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
