Women's sandals 1500 years old found in Istanbul: scientists decipher strange inscription (photo)
Among a number of ancient artifacts, archaeologists in Istanbul found a pair of 1500-year-old Byzantine-era women's sandals decorated with a message written in Greek. The inscription read, "Use for health, ladies, wear for beauty and happiness."
These shoes were among the 60,000 artifacts that have been discovered in Istanbul's ancient Eleftherios Harbor since 2004. These priceless artifacts are now stored in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Arkeonews reports.
It is noted that the sandals were found along with a number of artifacts, but have become the most popular attraction in the museum. Scientists believe that these shoes belonged to a Greek woman from the Byzantine Empire.
The publication reports that the Byzantine Empire was a continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces in the late antiquity and Middle Ages. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century AD and continued to exist for another thousand years until it fell, becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in 1453. For most of its existence, the Romani Empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe.
The Byzantines loved color and patterns and exported richly patterned fabric, especially Byzantine silk, which was woven and embroidered for the upper classes or dyed and printed with patterns for the lower classes. Women of that time wore different shoes-sandals, slippers, and low boots.
Byzantine clothing was an important marker of social status, and rich people often decorated their clothes with precious stones, gold threads, and embroidery.
Earlier, archaeologists established the true size of the largest settlement of the Maya tribe.
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