Steve Tomlinson initally thought the 1,000-year-old shoe was a piece of rubbish in the mud.
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A shoe found by an amateur archaeologist on the banks of the River Thames is more than 1,000 years old.
Steve Tomlinson, 47, from Birchington, Kent found the shoe last August.
The results have just been returned from a laboratory in Scotland.
He initially thought the shoe was a piece of rubbish in the mud. But following encouragement from fellow beach-combers, he sent it off for expert analysis.
The shoe was examined using carbon dating analysis. The results revealed a 95.4 per cent chance that it belonged to someone between 1017 and 1059AD, when the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings ruled Britain.
The shoe is a leather moccasin style. It was so well-preserved in the mud that heel and toe marks can still be seen on the footing.
Mr Tomlinson is in talks with museums to preserve the shoe. Credit: SWNS News
The father-of-two had to closely inspect object in the sand before he realised it could be of historical significance.
He said: “I was out and about just up that area and it was sticking out of a bit of clay mud so I pulled it out.”
He continued: “‘It is a rare find and amazingly it is still in superb preserved condition, probably due to the fact it was very well preserved in clay along with the sea, keeping it constantly waterlogged.”
Steve is keen to keep the exact location of the discovery a secret, to ensure that the space isn’t invaded by fellow history buffs. However, he says he is delighted with the discovery and “can’t quite believe” the outcome.
There has been strong interest from museums to put the shoe on display. Steve hopes that it will then be conserved and “shown for everybody to enjoy”.
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HeadlineBeachcomber finds 1,000 year old shoe in the Thames
Short Headline1,000 year old shoe found in Thames
StandfirstOne man's trash is another man's treasure - 1,000-year-old shoe found in River Thames.
A shoe found by an amateur archaeologist on the banks of the River Thames is more than 1,000 years old.
Steve Tomlinson, 47, from Birchington, Kent found the shoe last August.
The results have just been returned from a laboratory in Scotland.
He initially thought the shoe was a piece of rubbish in the mud. But following encouragement from fellow beach-combers, he sent it off for expert analysis.
The shoe was examined using carbon dating analysis. The results revealed a 95.4 per cent chance that it belonged to someone between 1017 and 1059AD, when the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings ruled Britain.
The shoe is a leather moccasin style. It was so well-preserved in the mud that heel and toe marks can still be seen on the footing.
Mr Tomlinson is in talks with museums to preserve the shoe. Credit: SWNS News
The father-of-two had to closely inspect object in the sand before he realised it could be of historical significance.
He said: “I was out and about just up that area and it was sticking out of a bit of clay mud so I pulled it out.”
He continued: “‘It is a rare find and amazingly it is still in superb preserved condition, probably due to the fact it was very well preserved in clay along with the sea, keeping it constantly waterlogged.”
Steve is keen to keep the exact location of the discovery a secret, to ensure that the space isn’t invaded by fellow history buffs. However, he says he is delighted with the discovery and “can’t quite believe” the outcome.
There has been strong interest from museums to put the shoe on display. Steve hopes that it will then be conserved and “shown for everybody to enjoy”.
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