Archaeologists have discovered what they say is the world’s oldest leather shoe, dating back to around 3,500 B.C. The shoe has laces, is approximately a woman’s size 7, and is an orphan: no left shoe was found.
It was discovered during the excavation of a huge cave in Armenia, in the midst of a treasure trove of artifacts that offer clues into life in the Copper Age. During that period, 6,000 years ago, humans also invented the wheel and domesticated the horse. New York Times science writer Pam Belluck discusses the shoe and how it was accidentally preserved for so long.
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