Europe's oldest shoe found in Spanish bat cave
They were among a haul of ancient objects discovered in a bat cave in Spain plundered by miners in the 19th Century, but were analysed in a new study.Low humidity and cool winds in the cave kept them unusually well-preserved.Researchers also analysed baskets and a set of tools.Some objects in the set date back 9,000 years.Researchers also analysed baskets and a set of tools. The objects "are the oldest and best preserved set of plant fibre materials in southern Europe so far known." the study's co-author María Herrero Otal said."The technological diversity and the treatment of raw materials documented highlights the skill of prehistoric communities," she added.New dating techniques used showed that the collection of 76 objects found in the cave was about 2,000 years older than was previously thought. The sandals that were analysed used different types of grass in their structure, researchers said, but also included other materials such as leather and lime.They d...