"Unusually large" 2,000-year-old shoes unearthed at a Roman site in northern England

A stash of "unusually large" 2,000-year-old shoes dug up at a Roman site in northern England has left archaeologists searching for an explanation, they told AFP on Thursday.

Eight large shoes, including one measuring nearly 13 inches long – equivalent to size 49 in Europe and size 15 in the US – have been found by archaeologists from the Vindolanda Charity Trust in recent months.

"Eight shoes from Magna are now recorded as 30cm or over in length and this includes one which holds the current record for being the Trust's largest shoe at 32.6cm long," the Roman Army Museum and Fort said in a news release.