Medieval Skeleton Wearing Leather Thigh-High Boots Found in River Thames

[Judi Lynn]

George Dvorsky
Yesterday 4:30pm

Archaeologists in London, England have uncovered a dramatic 500-year-old male skeleton lying face-down in the mud of the River Thames. Extraordinarily, the skeleton is still wearing his thigh-high leather boots.

Researchers from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) stumbled upon the mysterious skeleton while conducting excavations at Chambers Wharf in Bermondsey, a site that’s being prepared for future sewer work. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but the location and orientation of the body—not to mention the leather boots—suggest the man drowned in the Thames some 500 years ago.

At thigh-height, the boots resemble modern waders—the kind worn by fishermen, sailors, and mudlarkers (people who sift through mud in search of valuable objects). This man may have tragically fallen into the Thames and drowned while performing his daily routine, speculate the researchers in a MOLA press release, or perhaps he slipped while trying to scale the Bermondsey Wall, which the scientists say is nearby.

A deeper investigation into the man’s boots and his remains offered further clues.

More:
https://gizmodo.com/medieval-skeleton-wearing-leather-thigh-high-boots-foun-1830878208