The find conditions

Most of the Maastricht leather finds have been collected from cesspools. These circular limestone-block constructions served as toilets. They also served as rubbish pits, in which all unnecessary household gear was dumped. In most excavations they lack their characteristic domed roof; this roof made it possible that they were used as toilets. In the Boschstraatkwartier a limestone cesspit preserving the dome was discovered in 1985. The cesspit dome was taken apart and reassembled in the northern gallery system of Mount St. Pieter. In this way, the limestone construction has, as it were, been returned to where it came from.

A limestone cesspit ring occupies a central position in the exhibition, in which various leather finds have been assembled, in much the same way as they were once found. The numerous objects made from other materials found in these cesspools (mainly pottery and glass) allow the shoes and other leather finds to be dated fairly accurately. Most finds date from the 15th and 16th centuries. From historical sources it can be deduced that the Maastricht leather industry experienced its 'golden age' during that very period.

 

 

 

 

 

Roman footwear

The oldest leather finds of the Maastricht soil date from the Roman period. Some 1,900 years ago, a cobbler had his workshop on the ancient bank of the Maas River at the Houtmaas. In boggy deposits which are found 4 m below present surface, at that time a lot of leather waste was dumped. Many of these leather remains stem from a type of footwear made from a single length, which served as sole and top. In Roman times, this type of shoe was known as 'carbatina'. This make is comparable to what is called a mocassin in other cultures. Such simple footwear fits the indigenous prehistoric tradition; no other examples have yet been discovered in Maastricht. A model of the 'carbatina' is on display in one of the showcases.
A few pieces of leather are all that is left after preparation of soles. Together with the find of a hobnail this is evidence of the production of a special type of Roman shoe.

 

These hobnails under the sandals were much needed, because otherwise the soles would wear too rapidly during the long daily military marches. This type of sandal was called caliga. The Roman emperor Caligula (AD 37-41) was named after these sandals. As a small child, he spent so much time with the soldiers that they nicknamed him Caligula (small soldier's boot).

The exhibition includes a true-to-life reconstruction of a Roman soldier. The largely leather uniform is that of a Pretorian guard. The Pretorians were the imperial bodyguards, who were stationed in Rome. The uniforms were worn during performances by the recently founded 'Roman Guards Maastricht'.
The reconstruction of the shoes and leather armour are based on finds from archaeological excavations elsewhere and on illustrations of Pretorians on tombstones and monuments, such as Trojan's column in Rome.