September 13, 2016

The 5,300-year-old snowshoe.

The oldest snowshoe ever found — made in the late Neolithic age out of birch wood and twine. Found in the Alps in Italy by a cartographer, back in 2003:
“At first I thought it was maybe 100 years old and was a snow shoe that belonged to a farmer who lost it while driving cattle. I kept it in my office as a keepsake."
What wonders are found but not found, lying around in somebody's office or storeroom.

16 comments:

Heartless Aztec said...

The proverbial Ferrari in a barn except more valuable.

Curious George said...

"surfed said...
The proverbial Ferrari in a barn except more valuable."

Probably not.

Bob Ellison said...

There are found finds and unfound finds...

Heartless Aztec said...

Depends on how you value something. A Ferrari in a barn is a Ferrari in a barn. No shortage of Ferraris to humankind. On the other hand a Neo-lithic snowshoe is a one of a kind to humanity and history. Thst said I'll take the Ferrari.

Wince said...

Strangely, it matches the shoe Hillary lost at the 9/11 memorial.

AllenS said...

From the article --

He is believed to have died 5,300 years ago as a result of a violent attack – he was shot by an arrow and then possibly hit with a blunt instrument such as a club.

Probably not the first drive-by, but since the beginning, there has been war and violent attacks between humans, so quit thinking that what is happening now is Bush's fault.

campy said...

He is believed to have died 5,300 years ago as a result of a violent attack – he was shot by an arrow and then possibly hit with a blunt instrument such as a club.

Very early date for a Trump rally.

Joe said...

If a glacier recedes, exposing things there before it advanced, what size should the glacier be?

readering said...

I like the story this year of the possible Caravaggio stumbled upon in the leaking attic.

CWJ said...

"What wonders are found but not found, lying around in somebody's office or storeroom."

Like the ark of the covenant.

CWJ said...

"The 5,800-year-old snowshoe."

"He is believed to have died 5,300 years ago..."

So he was wearing 500 year old snowshoes? Good to know, my sneakers don't last 3 years.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

He spent 500 years looking for his lost snowshoe.

tim maguire said...

Every few years an ancient text thought lost is discovered on a library shelf.

David said...

From the article:

"It was unclear why people were travelling through such an inhospitable region, she said. They may have been hunting animals, fleeing enemies from a rival tribe, or visiting pagan sites of worship."

Or perhaps Because It Was There.

I doubt human curiosity was much different then.

David said...

That show was an Unknown Known until he took it to the scientists.

Rumsfeld is probably quite impressed.

mikee said...

Here in Central Texas, there are ancient marine fossils lying around all over.
An index fossil (i.e., really, really common at a specific age/layer of sediment) called Exogyra ponderosa is among my favorites. It is a giant spiral of an oyster shell, sometimes 9 inches across and up to 5 pounds in weight, readily found in road cuts or new construction sites around Austin.

I've given them as gifts, used them as paperweights, donated them to my kids' elementary school, and used hundreds as landscaping stones. Common as can be, they ar, and are sold on EBay for $5 to $50 if you want one. Old, yes. Uncommon, no. Valuable? High in sentimental value, if sought with one's kids.

They are from the Late Cretaceous, just over 65,000,000 years old.

http://encyclopedian-zoology.blogspot.com/2013/12/exogyra.html