Dig discovers there were big shoes to fill for one resident of Roman fort

EVIDENCE has emerged of Northumberland’s very own Bigfoot during a dig at a Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall.

- TONY HENDERSON

The excavations by teams of volunteers are investigating defensive ditches at the little-explored Magna fort, which is also the site of the Vindolanda Trust’s Roman Army Museum. And the latest find has seen one occupant of the fort walk into the history books as one of his shoes was discovered in a ditch.

The trust, which runs the Vindolanda and Magna sites, has around 5,000 shoes that have survived in the anaerobic underground conditions, where waterlogging excludes oxygen meaning that organic material like leather is preserved,

To the astonishment of archaeologists and volunteers, the Magna shoe measures 32cm long, which is the equivalent of UK men’s size 12-14 in modern footwear.

"It immediately drew impressed gasps from volunteers and staff alike," said Magna senior archaeologist Rachel Frame. "The sheer size of the shoe and guesses about who could have worn it dominated the conversation. We were baffled and astounded by the sheer size of the shoe."

Magna was home to two of the most exotic Roman regiments to have served in Roman Britain - the Syrian archers and the Dalmatian Mountain soldiers. Could Bigfoot have been in their ranks?

By contrast another find of a tiny shoe shows children were present at the fort.