The woman was also reportedly buried with a striking clutch bag, a comb and a mirror – and no fewer than four changes of clothes
These remarkable new pictures show a 1,000-year-old mummy who was found in Mongolian mountains wearing ” Adidas boots”.
The woman, aged between 30 and 40, went to the next life apparently donning red-and-black boots with distinctive stripes.
She was also reportedly buried with a striking clutch bag, a comb and a mirror – and no fewer than four changes of clothes.
But despite her seemingly lavish possessions, archaeologists think she was an “ordinary” women of her epoch, neither elite nor royal.
The woman was buried with a horse and a saddle with metal stirrups in such good condition that it could be used today.
Scientists believe she died up to 1,100 years ago in the Altai Mountains after suffering a serious head wound, but the cause is unclear.
The female’s remains were preserved incredibly well – as were those of the horse and ram’s head she was buried alongside.
Some skin and hair is seen on her remains, which were wrapped in felt.
Her striped felt shoes – which she has become known for – have been carefully cleaned after a millennium in her burial chamber.
Last year, it was reported that the boots were red with three distinctive white stripes – an emblem now synonymous with Adidas.
However, new pictures of the mummy and her footwear were revealed today by The Siberian Times , showing the stripes to be a red colour.
There is also a higher number of them than three.
One local fashion expert was quoted as saying they looked “stylish”.
“I wouldn’t mind wearing them now in a cold climate,” they said.
“Those high-quality stitches, the bright red and black stripes, the length – I would buy them now in no time.”
Galbadrakh Enkhbat, director of the Centre of Cultural Heritage of Mongolia, said: “The felt boots are knee length, the soles are leather, and the toecap has stitched stripes in bright red colours.
“With these stripes, when the find was made public, they were dubbed similar to Adidas shoes.
“In this sense, they are an interesting object of study for ethnographers, especially so when the style is very modern.”
He revealed that there is a head wound on the mummy.
Initial examinations found that “it was quite possible that the traces of a blow of the mummy’s facial bones were the cause of her death”, he said.
“Judging by what was found inside the burial, we guess that she was from an ordinary social strata,” said Galbadrakh.
“Various sewing utensils were found with her.
“This is only our guess, but we think she could have been a seamstress.”
Her bag is made of felt, he said.
“Inside was the sewing kit and since the embroidery was on both the bag and the shoes, we can be certain that the embroidery was done by locals,” he said.
The woman’s grave was unearthed at an altitude of some 9,196 ft.
She is believed to be of Turkic origin.
Scientists are still seeking to verify the age of the burial.
However, it is now thought that the mummy is from the tenth century – more recent than originally believed.
The high altitude – and resulting cold – helped the preservation.
But the body was also covered in Shilajit, a thick, sticky tar-like substance with the colour ranging from white to dark brown.
The corpse – like the horse’s remains – was covered in felt.
“As the grave was buried in a cool environment, fabric and the felt did not undergo a biological reaction,” said Galbadrakh.
“They appeared as if they had been used only yesterday.
“Had they been buried in the soil, nothing would have remained.”
SOURCE: mirror.co.uk
