Valkenburg/Castleford style caliga step by step

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

I think you can calculate the original thickness if you count in the natural decay of leather, and the substance it was found in like in many of Carol's Caligae, like clay, peat, etcetera.

which subsequently should get you an approximate thickness of the original.

M.VIB.M.

[Neuraleanus]

I've transformed the photo of your caliga pattern to line art and I'm going to use it as the basis for the pattern for my next pair of caligae. In particular, I'm not happy with how the backs of my current pair, particularly having stretched, turned out. This could be at least partly due to how I stitched the lower gap. I folded the cut-out "keystone" of the pattern in "Stepping through Time" into itself and stitched. For the next pair I'm going to try your method and I noticed that you drew the back differently. Would you mind if I posted your modified caliga pattern to my web site?

Martin's Caliga Pattern

[Martin Moser]

Would you mind if I posted your modified caliga pattern to my web site?

You're of course welcome to use it. Keep in mind (or better yet, add a note), please, that the pattern is only based on various finds from Valkenburg and Castleford and does not represent a single original!

[Neuraleanus]

As you pointed out, but it is at least representative of the whole, and that's what we're striving for. I am going to spend a bit more time adjusting the pattern this time and I'm going to try the duck tape around the foot method. My biggest difficulty seems to be getting the size right.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

I have measured the thickness of my leather and it is 3 to 4 millimeter.

my sole thickness is about 1 centimeter and the sole is made of two parts.

the bottom part is oak tanned leather, 5 millimeters thick, then 4 millimeter thick leather to provide cushioning.

the upper part of the caliga is stitched through the soles, after which i hobnailed the soles. If you look closely you can see i drilled the holes too big, HOWEVER!! i have found out that this actually increases the strenth of the sole itself, and therefore of the caliga.

also i have added a photo of a front-line repair.......

in 1998 i put my Caligae next (too close) to a campfire, and went inside the tent of a lovely 17th century girl who later became my girlfriend.....

then the smoke hit us.... one of my caliga caught fire! it burnt the top clear off.........

The relationship didnt last, however the repair did! (I just put another new piece of top leather on it the next day so i could tie my boot again!)

these are the caligae i have had for 11 years now. they never failed and only have been resoled once. they have of course been re studded a lot of times....

so thats the story of my caligae...... :lol:

[Neuraleanus]

:lol:

Ok, my next pair of caligae will use thicker leather. I measured the thickness of the leather on the uppers of my current caligae and it comes out to 2.5mm. I've ordered a double shoulder of 7-9oz leather which should have a thickness of over 3mm. I've also located a source of bends for the soles, very thick stuff in the 12 to 16 oz range.

MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS,
I see that your caligae have also stretched out in the back. I need to carefully study my pattern to see whether I can prevent that from happening.

Martin,
a question on the pattern: The pattern from Stepping through Time shows a bit of play about the toes and you have apparently made your caligae much tighter here. I'm thinking that a tighter fit is better. Any reasons for the going looser versus tighter?

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Personally I think ALL Caligae stretched out in the back eventually.

also the ones found. however during walking/marching it doesnt give any trouble, as long as the top side on your ankle and the top side on your foot are bound tight enough, but not so tight it stops the blood-flow, of course...



however, one thing that might prevent the stretching is if you fold the back side together and then stitch it, since then you get a sturdy rib like structure on the back end

http://198.144.2.125/Roman/Full/caligae.jpg (a pattern for you)

(dont forget to punch out holes on the inside where the triangles come together top side to prevent tearing of the leather!

another possibility to strenghen the back.

http://www.damianchavez.com/caligae.jpg

M.VIB.M.

[Neuraleanus]

that would explain the difficulties that I'm having getting your pattern to fit my feet. I get the heel part right and the toe section is too tight, or if I get the toe section right the heel section is too big. I was working on the assumption that you had made a perfect orthogonal projection. No matter, I need to make a unique pattern for my own feet anyways. I'm going back to the pattern from "Stepping through Time" and I'll modify that as the marks on the tape indicate.

On the back stretching issue I think that Martin has the answer. On my last pair I tryed something different and the result was too much material behind the heel. I've been carefully studying Martin's photos showing how he folded the leather over the heel and stitched it.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

The only problem being originals we find being without a lot of that type of stitching... as far as i can see that is...

M.VIB.M.

[Martin Moser]

Martin, you must of tilted the camera that would explain the difficulties that I'm having getting your pattern to fit my feet.

Yes, that might well be, sorry. But I think you do better to redevelop the pattern from your own foot, taking mine as a helper only. Feet can be different to an astonishing degree, I find.

On the back stretching issue I think that Martin has the answer. On my last pair I tryed something different and the result was too much material behind the heel. I've been carefully studying Martin's photos showing how he folded the leather over the heel and stitched it.

There certainly are other ways it was done, when you look at the drawings of the finds. The method I used here in my HowTo also is only deduced from the pattern from Stepping Through Time, I don't know how it was done originally. Unfortunately authors so far gave this aspect very little of their attention ...

[Martin Moser]

Personally I think ALL Caligae stretched out in the back eventually.
also the ones found.

To a certain degree, yes, I would agree. This can be countered by making the back of the caliga a bit narrower/shorter at the heel than needed.
As can be seen in the last of the pictures of your caligae, btw., having the upper, horizontal straps too long also results in sagging of the heel area. The upper has slided down so that the ankle bone is covered, where those straps should clearly be above it. This then results in the lower back of the caliga bulging out to the back and the sides (as there is a surplus of material there now), even without the leather stretching. Looks exactly like the caligae of a friend of mine.

http://198.144.2.125/Roman/Full/caligae.jpg (a pattern for you)

Thanks, Marcus, the more the better. Probably the most widely used pattern in my experience. (Note, however, that this is not supported by any finds AFAIK.)

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Sorry but it does! then you dont know the Dutch arhchaeological finds.

Valkenburg CASTELLvM.

chesk your reference.

M.VIB.M.

[Robert Vermaat]

check your reference.

HJ, if you know of the reference that proves your point, please supply it. It's not good enough to tell another he's wrong but without the proper evidence.

[Martin Moser]

Sorry but it does! then you dont know the Dutch arhchaeological finds.

Well, I know some but have not come across this one anywhere yet.

chesk your reference.

Good tip :-)

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

Cüppers, Heinz. Die Römer an Mosel und Saar. Schuhmacherhandwerk. 201-205

Driel-Murray, C. van: 'Shoes in perspective', in Unz, C. (ed.) 1986: Studien zu den Militärgrenzen Roms III, Stuttgart, 139-45

Driel-Murray, C. van and Gechter, M.: 'Funde aus der Fabrika der legio I Minervia aus Bonner Berg', Rheinische Ausgrabungen 23, 1983, 1-83

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

Driel-Murray, C. van: Romeinse leervonsten uit Vechten. Westerheem/29. 1980. 349-355.

Driel-Murray, C. van: Dead Men's Shoes. in Schlüter, Wolfgang. Rom, Germanien und die Ausgrabungen von Kalkriese. 1999. 169-191.

Driel-Murray, C. van: Römisches Schuhwerk. in Ludwig Wamser (Hg.). Die Römer zwischen Alpen und Nordmeer. Mainz 2000. 150-154

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

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

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

Driel-Murray, C. van und Jan K. Haalebos: Ein römisches Getreideschiff in Woerden (NL). in: Jahrbuch des römisch-germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 43/1996. 490-496.

Gansser-Burckhardt, A.: Das Leder und seine Verarbeitung im römischen Legionslager Vindonissa, Basel 1942

Göpfrich, Jutta: Römische Lederfunde aus Mainz. Offenbach: 1991

Goldman, Norma: Roman Footwear in Judith Lynn Sebesta, The world of Roman costume. Madison, Wis. 1994. 101-129

Groenman-van Waateringe, W.: Romeins lederwerk uit Valkenburg Z.H., Groningen 1967

Miller, Louise, John Schofield and Michael Rhodes: The Roman Quay at St Magnus House, London. Special Paper No. 8 of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 1986

Musee du Louvre, Departement des Antiquites Egyptiennes. Catalogue des Chaussures de L'Antiquite Egyptienne. 2000

Robertson, Anne, Margaret Scott and Lawrence Keppie: Bar Hill: A Roman Fort and its Finds. British Archaeological Reports 16, 1975


... sorry, nothing :-( ( . My best guess would have been Groenman-van Waateringe... Why don't you just simply let us know where it's published, I'm always looking for more information on shoes of any kind. TIA

[Tarbicus]

Martin, you're sure you didn't miss any? :wink:

Should I add that list to the How-To?