The Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project

The Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (AEFP) is a multidisciplinary, ongoing research of footwear in ancient Egypt from the Predynastic through the Ottoman Periods. It consists of the study of actual examples of footwear, augmented by pictorial and textual evidence.

This volume evaluates, summarises and discusses the results of the study of footwear carried out by the AEFP for the last 10 years (which includes the objects in the major collections in the world, such as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, as well as from various excavations, such as Amarna, Elephantine and Dra Abu el-Naga). All published material is depicted and some previously unpublished material is added here.

The work on physical examples of footwear has brought to light exciting new insights into ancient Egyptian technology and craftsmanship (including its development but also in the relationships of various footwear categories and their origin), establishing and refining the dating of technologies and styles of footwear, the diversity of footwear, provided a means of identification of provenance for unprovenanced examples, and the relationship between footwear and socio-economic status. The archaeometrical research has lead to the reinterpretation of ancient Egyptian words for various vegetal materials, such as papyrus.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Short History of Footwear in Egyptology

Research Objectives

Layout of the Present Work

Terminology

Materials and Methods

Studied Objects

Methods

Hands-On Study

Vegetal Materials (Other than Wood)

Skin and Leather

Wood

Metal

Archaeological Context: A Problematic Inheritance

Museological Context: Problems and Priorities

Description

Footwear Made of Vegetal Material (Other than Wood)

Sandals

Shoes

Footwear Made of Leather

Sandals

Shoes

Mules

Footwear Made of Wood

Tomb Sandals

Pattens

Typology

Materials Used in Footwear

Vegetal Materials (Other than Wood)

The Samples

Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London

The British Museum, London

Discussion

Skin and Leather

Wood

Metal

Diachronic Change

Introduction

Technology

Shape

Distribution

Production

Tanneries, Workshops and Craftsmen

Tools

Use, Wear and Repair

Signs of Use

Wear

Evidence of Repair

Utility Footwear vs. Footwear for the Afterlife

Royal vs. Commoners

Gender in Footwear

Symbolism and Status

Foreign Footwear and Influences in Egypt

Conclusions

Bibliography