Caligae Construction

[Martin Moser]

Hi Matt,

I think you made some very good and valid observations there. It is pretty much the same I wrote in an earlier thread, see

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... ght=#49432

There is no exact depiction/clear description that I know of of how the heel and the sole were joined at the back. There are however drawings & descriptions of how the back seem was closed, normally

"the back seam is double stitched with an extremely fine edge/grain [double or sadler's stitch (my insert)] on the outside, raising a ridge along the join and a more widely spaced edge/flesh overstitch on the inside" (van Driel-Murray, Footwear in the NW-Provinces ... see below)

Also check the "Calligae" thread for a pic:

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... highlight=

I'm also making a pair based on the Valkenburg/Castleford based pattern van Driel-Murray presented in her article cited above and will provide some more detailed pics on this soon.

Also, I've noticed that the artifacts all have quite thin straps- quite a contrast to the rather wide ones that most recreation caligae seem to have- does anyone know why? Is everyone just following an old incorrect design not realizing that it's wrong, or is there actually evidence that there were caligae with wider straps? One phenomenal artifact has straps that are barely 3-3.5mm wide, and given the size of other elements of the sandal, I strongly doubt that it's a case of leather shrinkage over time.

Ha, my pet peeve! :-) -) ) Yes, this is IMHO a prime example of how copying from the copy of a copy of a copy (insert many more copies) eventually leads to people believing that that is/was the real thing.

I know of only one example for broader straps, and that is from a depiction in non-military context from the Negotiator stele from Neumagen (2nd half 2nd cent.) and only ankle-high. It is therefore from a period where it is believed by van Driel-Murray that the military use of the caligae was over.

Here is a book list helpful with this topic

Das Ostkastell von Welzheim, Rems-Murr-Kreis. Die römischen Lederfunde. Carol van Driel-Murray. Stuttgart: 1998

Die römerzeitlichen Schuh- und Lederfunde der Kastelle Saalburg, Zugmantel and Kleiner Feldberg. Anna Lisa Busch, Saalburg Jahrbuch 22, 1965.

Römische Lederfunde aus Mainz. Jutta Göpfrich. Offenbach: 1991

Vindolanda. Research Reports, New Series. Vol. III The Early Wooden Forts. Carol van Driel-Murray, John Peter Wild et al. 1993

Footwear in the North-Western Provinces of the Roman Empire. Carol van Driel-Murray. in Goubitz/Van Driel-Murray/Groenman-van Wateringe: Stepping Through Time. Archeological Footwear from Prehistoric Times until 1800, Zwolle 2001.

There's more of course but those are the one's I find most helpful when it comes to pictures/drawings of actual finds and for reconstructions.