Stepping Through Time: Archaeological Footwear from Prehistoric Times until 1800

by Olaf Goubitz, C. Van Driel-Murray, W. Groenman van Waateringe

Drawing on 25 years' experience as a conservator of leather, Goubitz presents a typological catalogue of footwear dating from 800-1800 AD. The study is based on Goubitz' analysis of an important assemblage of shoes recovered from excavations at Dordrecht in the Netherlands but the volume's aim is to offer guidance for the identification of shoes found on sites across north-western Europe. In addition, contributions from van Driel-Murray and Groenman-van Waateringe examine evidence for shoe types in prehistoric Europe and the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire, periods which inevitably have left less evidence. The fully illustrated catalogue follows a comprehensive discussion of shoes styles and technology including height standards, iconography, material, patterns, stitches, soles, the identification and dating of fragments and conservation. The volume should prove a useful tool for Roman and, especially, medieval historians and archaeologists.

396 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2007

Reviews

[Nicholas Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations of extant medieval purses -- the inclusion of cross sections and stitch/cutting patterns demystifies a lot of construction. A fantastic, albeit niche, resource for the reenactor; I only wish all the purses covered were as visually detailed as the girdle purses.

[Heather Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought to you by the same team that did Stepping Through Time, this is a similarly detailed analysis of the structure and construction of purses and other carrying-containers found in archaeological sites in the Netherlands. It includes an attempt at establishing a typology and nomenclature for medieval purses which I intend to find useful. If you have any interest in constructing medieval purses, this book is a must. The details on internal structure are in that category of "would never have come up with this from looking at the pictures" that always gives me warm fuzzies to discover.