flop) were worn. This practice
dates back to pictures of them
in ancient Egyptian murals
from 4,000 B.C. One pair
found in Europe was made
of papyrus leaves and dated to
be approximately 1,500 years
old. They were also worn
in Jerusalem during the time of
Jesus Christ. Thong sandals
were worn by many
civilizations and made from a
wide variety of materials.
Ancient Egyptian sandals were
made from papyrus and palm
leaves. The Masaiof Africa
made them out of rawhide. In
India they were made from
wood. In China and Japan, rice
straw was used. The leaves of
the sisal plant were used to
make twine for sandals in
South America while the
natives of Mexico used
the Yucca plant.
The 5,500 year old shoe was
found well preserved under a
heap of sheep excrement in an
Armenian cave. This does not
make it the oldest ever foot
ware
While thong sandals were
commonly worn, many people
in ancient times, such as
the Egyptians, Hindus and Gre
eks, saw little need for
footwear, and most of the time,
preferred being barefoot. The
Egyptians and Hindus made
some use of ornamental
footwear, such as a soleless
sandal known as a "Cleopatra",
which did not provide any
practical protection for the
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