Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 16 (2011): Settlements and Towns, pp. 186–210
Abstract
This report reviews leather footwear discovered during the latest archaeological research in Klaipėda, in investigations carried out at 3 Kurpių St in 2007 and 2008, and at 10 Žvejų St in 2006 (headed by R. Bračiulienė). Another aim is to present examples of the footwear of Klaipėda dwellers in the 16th and 17th centuries which are of interest in terms of their shape and style, and which are typical of the shoes of the West European Renaissance and of the townsfolk of the Early Modern Period. The following types of footwear are presented: primitive shoes, low-cut shoes, mules and children’s shoes. The report describes the parts of the footwear, joining methods, seams and decorative components. It discusses differences between the footwear of the 16th and the 17th centuries, and refers to morphological studies and microchemical analyses of archaeological leather and thread fibre conducted by other experts.
Finds of footwear in the excavations in Town Hall Square and Vene, Vaimu, Sauna and Roosikrantsi streets reflect the medieval footwear fashion of Tallinn as well as of the whole of northern and Central Europe. Strap shoes, low laced shoes and high laced shoes might be considered as fashion footwear. The respective chronologies of northern Europe demonstrate the existence of thong, strap and low laced shoes and high laced shoes through many centuries, but the peaks of use – the period of the fashion – of these types do not exceed 70 to 80 years. Since Tallinn belonged to the Hanseatic League, the cultural phenomena occurring here were probably the same in Central and northern Europe.