Cueva de los Murciélagos

Europe’s Oldest Known Shoes Discovered in Spanish Cave

Scientists have identified Europe's oldest known shoes, dating back 6,000 years, discovered in the Cueva de los Murciélagos (Cave of the Bats) in Andalusia, Spain. The cave also contained well-preserved baskets and tools, some up to 9,000 years old, representing the oldest plant fiber materials in southern Europe. The sandals, made from grass, leather, and lime, predate previously known leather shoes from Armenia. The cave was initially accessed in 1831 for bat guano, and later miners found mummified corpses, baskets, wooden tools, wild boar teeth, and a gold diadem. New dating techniques revealed the 76 objects are about 2,000 years older than previously thought.