Camilla Jessen
Archaeologists say a recent discovery at a Roman fort in northern England could change what we know about the people who once lived there.
An archaeological find in northern England is prompting fresh questions about the people who once lived along Rome’s northern frontier.
Researchers say the discovery, made at a Roman fort in Northumberland, stands out not because of its age, but because of its size.
A surprising find
The shoe was uncovered in summer 2025 at Roman Fort Magna, near Hadrian’s Wall. Measuring more than 12 inches long, it would equate to roughly a size 13 or 14 in modern terms.
Rachel Frame, senior archaeologist on the project, said the object immediately drew attention. “(It) immediately drew impressed gasps from volunteers and staff alike,” she wrote.
The unusually large footwear is now being examined alongside thousands of other Roman shoes recovered in the region.
Rare among thousands
More than 5,000 shoes have been found at nearby Vindolanda, another Roman settlement along Hadrian’s Wall.
Of those, only “four or five were that large,” highlighting how uncommon the Magna example is.
Dr. Elizabeth Greene, Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario and a specialist in the Vindolanda shoe collection, said the pattern at Magna appears different.
“I think there is something very different going on here at Magna, even from this small sample uncovered it is clear that these shoes are much larger on average than most of the Vindolanda collection,” Greene said.
How it was made
Frame described the shoe’s construction as a detailed example of Roman craftsmanship.
“This gives us a really good look at how Roman shoes were made: multiple layers of leather were used to form the sole, held together with tongs, stitching, and hobnails,” she explained. “These also reinforced the outer surface for walking and are found on many styles of shoe.”
The preservation of leather items in the damp soil of the region has provided archaeologists with rare insights into daily life nearly 2,000 years ago.
Questions about stature
The size of the shoe suggests it may have belonged to someone significantly taller than average for the period.
“We have to assume it’s something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller but we don’t know,” Frame said.
“Are the people living there from a specific region? Could that be why their shoes are so much larger? But at the moment, it’s sort of, well, this is unusual.”
Researchers say further excavation and analysis may help determine whether Magna housed a distinct population within the Roman Empire.
Sources: The Vindolanda Trust, LadBible
