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\u2013 credit, Parco Archeologico di Morgantina e Villa Romana del Casale, released<\/p>\n \u2013 credit, Parco Archeologico di Morgantina e Villa Romana del Casale, released<\/p>\n
A Roman mosaic at the bottom of a bathing pool has come to light after 1,600 years, and seems to show that the modern \u201cflip-flop\u201d sandal has an archaic origin story.<\/p>\n
Far from being invented by Havianas, it seems they were long-established as standard bathhouse footwear during the late imperial period.<\/p>\n
In a statement<\/a> by the Villa Romana del Casale archaeological park and museum, recent excavation activity has brought back to light a rich mosaic in one of the villa\u2019s bathing rooms that \u201cenriches the already vast patrimony of the site.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe mosaic reminds one of the modern infradito,\u201d or \u2018between toe,\u2019\u2014the Italian word for flip-flop. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t treated like simple decoration, but as a refined work of art from a master mosaic artist,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n It was found by Isabella Baldini, reports<\/a> Smithsonian, an archeologist at the University of Bologna, who was leading the fourth edition of the Summer Series ARCHlab, which takes up to 40 archaeology students from 11 countries and brings them to Italy for field work.<\/p>\n The Villa Romana of Casale, located in central Sicily, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and described by the organization as \u201cone of the most luxurious of its kind\u2026 especially noteworthy for the richness and quality of the mosaics which decorate almost every room.\u201d<\/p>\n The flip-flops were found at the bottom of the pool in the villa\u2019s frigidarium,\u00a0or cold room\u2014a space typical to wealthy Roman bathing complexes. Once believed to be owned by royalty, it was later confirmed to be the property of a wealthy citizen. In addition to the frigidarium, the bathing area contains a massage room, lavatory, and gymnasium\u2014the latter of which sporting the famous \u201cbikini girls\u201d mosaic<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mosaics are believed to not only have been installed as art works, but also as representative, inspirational instructions for the purpose of each room. For example, in the massage room, an athletic man is depicted receiving an oil massage.<\/p>\n THE MAJESTY OF ROME: <\/strong>Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France<\/a><\/p>\n Evidently, just as the sandals depicted 1,600 years ago are reminiscent of the modern flip-flop, their placement in the pool area is reminiscent of modern Italian gym regulations of never going barefoot in or around pools and bathhouses.<\/p>\n Yet the discovery, while brilliant, isn\u2019t the only time such sandals have been depicted.<\/p>\n MORE ROMAN STORIES LIKE THIS: <\/strong>Students Decipher Title of Burnt Scroll from the Famous Library Buried by Vesuvius\u2013Called \u2018On Vices\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe flip-flop is a recurring motif in late Roman baths, also attested in Spain, Cyrenaica, Cyprus, Jordan and Asia Minor,\u201d Baldini tells\u00a0Artnet.<\/a>\u00a0\u201cAs in other cases, the depiction of such a subject serves to characterize the building in question within its aristocratic and international dimension.\u201d<\/p>\n