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March 17, 2015

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Ancient shoes get a makeover

A Chinese archeological research institute is about to start work on restoring a pair of 1,400-year-old shoes unearthed from the Astana Tombs, an ancient cemetery site in northwest China鈥檚 Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Xu Dongliang of Academia Turfanica said the shoes, taken from the large archive of items excavated from the Astana Tombs since the 1950s, are made of goat skin with parts sewn together using animal sinew.

Academia Turfanica has invited experts from Germany to supervise the restoration.

Xu said technicians would use specialist microscopes to analyze the shoes. Using precision techniques, the restoration will remove dirt and mould, and reshape and reinforce the shoes to make them more sturdy.

Over 300 leather relics have been discovered in the tombs in Turpan. Academia Turfanica has been heavily involved in restoring the items, most of which are charred, damaged or in a state of deterioration.


 

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