Medieval Leather Products Discovered in Oslo – History Blog

More than 200 shoes from the Middle Ages were found in the Bjørvika neighborhood of Oslo, and these leather shoes were only what they counted so far. Archaeologists estimate that the final statistics will be more than a thousand.

The shoe is between 600 and 700 years old and is hand-sewn in leather. Some of them are simple. Others have intricate patterns or elegant decorations. There are taller boots.

These shoes are obviously good. People walked a lot in medieval Oslo. And because the shoes are expensive to make, it is important to take good care of the shoes.

“We can see that they have developed holes and have been repaired in various ways,” said archaeologist Marja-Liisa Petrelius Grue. “We see the entire life cycle of the shoe.”

The wear pattern reveals where the leather strap’s toes bend and how the sole is worn under the feet.

So far, out of 227 shoes, more than 40 are children’s shoes. They are customized to suit the feet of children, but except for the size, they are designed the same as adult shoes and are made using the same techniques and materials.

“They are so cute. We can see some of them being used by many people. They have been repaired many times, adjusted and renovated.” [Grue] explain.

The Bjørvika community is an open water at the entrance to the northwest of Oslofjord, the first port of Oslo in the 11th century. It was in use until the fire destroyed the Wooden City in the mid-17th century.

The neighborhood is currently being excavated before planning to build a new school, and the reclaiming plans in the 18th and 19th centuries transformed it into drylands. Previous archaeological investigations have restored materials from the city’s early history, including wood from a Viking ship, the oldest part of the ship ever made in Oslo, and a 26-foot-long pier in a dock about 1300 years.

Objects found at the site were found in thick clay on the fjord seabed, at least 10 feet below the surface of the current. The cultural layer dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, but it lies below the 19th century level. Archaeologists believe that the medieval strata flooded from the Alna River through floods. These objects show signs of widespread use, wear and reuse, so they may be discarded in a garbage dump, which itself has been actively used for centuries. The spring flood then flooded the garbage dump, washed its contents and stored it in a port location until the 18th century.

This will explain the density of everyday use objects found on the website, which is much higher than the team expected. The excavation is now almost completed, and so far the team has classified 2500 objects (excluding food waste) and more records. Most of them are leather products. In addition to shoes, there are at least 15 bags/purses, some of which are complete with fasteners, as well as knife and swordsmanship.

In an era when clothes don’t have pockets, most people hold some kind of bag. The main style of the bag at that time was a tie bag that was secured to the belt with a belt or tie. They are made of tanned leather, cut and sewn together. The rope can be penetrated through the holes at the top to close the bag. The bags from this period were sometimes decorated with embossed patterns, embroidery or metal buckles, but of the 15 bags found so far by the Bjørvika school, 13 of which are pure and undecorated, with only two showing evidence of the design. One of the bags is small, only 5×5 cm (2×2 inches). It may be used to carry small amulets or crosses, or it may be a small motorist.

The knife is also carried. They are worn in leather sheaths on the belt. The leather sheaths and scabbards found in Bjørvika Dig are usually made of a rectangular piece of sewn with one or two rectangular leather, so the seam on the middle back is resting without being seen. The two fragments have relief decorations, one is a leaf pattern and the other is a square pattern. Some longer scabbards have been recycled, the ends are cut and discarded, and the rest are modified. Leather is expensive and will be reconfigured when possible by cobblers and bag manufacturers.