Ancient Shoe Discovered in Spanish Bat Cave Becomes Europe's Oldest

Europe's oldest shoes, believed to be approximately 6,000 years old, have been identified by scientists. These woven grass sandals were found in a Spanish bat cave that had been looted by miners in the 19th century. The cave's low humidity and cool winds contributed to the remarkable preservation of these ancient objects. Alongside the shoes, baskets and a set of tools were also analyzed. According to Mar\u00eda Herrero Otal, the co-author of the study, these objects represent the oldest and best-preserved plant fiber materials in southern Europe. The diverse technology and treatment of raw materials demonstrate the skill of prehistoric communities. Recent dating techniques revealed that the collection of 76 objects was actually 2,000 years older than previously believed, with some objects dating back 9,000 years. The sandals, which predate the 5,500-year-old leather shoes found in an Armenian cave in 2008, used various types of grass as well as leather and lime. The shoes were discovered in the Cueva de los Murci\u00e9lagos, or Cave of the Bats, located in Andalusia, southwest Spain. The cave was initially explored in 1831 by a landowner who collected bat droppings for fertilizer. Miners later discovered a gallery within the cave that contained partially mummified corpses, baskets, wooden tools, wild boar teeth, and a unique gold diadem.