Scientists say 6,200-year-old shoes found in cave challenge “simplistic assumptions” about early humans
A remarkable discovery in a cave in Spain has upended long-held beliefs about the capabilities of early humans in Europe. A team of scientists announced that they have uncovered 6,200-year-old grass sandals in the cave, making them the oldest woven grass footwear ever found on the continent. This revelation is forcing researchers to reconsider their “simplistic assumptions” about the lives of early human ancestors in the region.
The discovery was made by a team of researchers from the Universidad de Alcalá and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, who had been studying 76 objects previously found in a cave in southern Spain. Among these objects were baskets, sandals, and organic tools crafted from reed and esparto grass. Through careful analysis of the raw materials used in these objects, the researchers were able to date them to the early and middle Holocene period, spanning from 9,500 to 6,200 years ago.
“The quality and technological complexity of the basketry makes us question the simplistic assumptions we have about human communities prior to the arrival of agriculture in southern Europe,” stated Francisco Martínez Sevilla, a researcher in the Prehistory Department of the University of Alcalá.
Maria Herrero Otal, co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of the findings, noting that the fiber-based materials discovered are rarely found in archaeological sites. “It means that the use of esparto grass started at least 9,500 years ago, and it is a tradition which is still alive in Iberia [Spain and Portugal],” Otal explained. “It is spectacular how the techniques, the raw material, and its preparation have been used for thousands of years, and there are still people working in the same way.”
The sandals discovered in the cave represent “the earliest and widest-ranging assemblage of prehistoric footwear, both in the Iberian Peninsula and in Europe, unparalleled at other latitudes,” according to the study published in the journal Science Advances.
These artifacts were initially found during mining activities in the Cueva de los Murciélagos, or “Cave of the Bats,” in Albuñol, Granada, Spain, during the 19th century. However, this recent study determined that the materials were approximately 2,000 years older than previously believed.
Researchers attribute the preservation of these ancient items to the cave’s low humidity levels and cool, dry winds, which inhibited bacterial growth and allowed the fiber-based objects to endure through the ages.
The scientists also noted that two types of footwear were discovered at the site. One had a consistently woven sole, while the other featured a harder “central core.” Although no laces were found with the first type, the latter had a small group of fibers connected to the base of the sole, potentially used between the first and second toes, with additional fibers linked to a braid fixed to the middle of the sandal that could be tied around the ankle. This intricate design demonstrates the advanced skills and creativity of early human communities.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
