The ancient mummified remains were well preserved, but it wasn’t the body or the fascinating array of items she was found with that sparked debate – it was the ‘Adidas shoes’ she had on
The ancient boots like just like one of the Adidas snowboarding boots (Image: The Mongolian Observer/The Center of Cultural Heritage of Mongolia)
Ancient historians and time travel conspiracy theorists are united in being baffled after a 1,500-year-old mummy was found wearing “Adidas trainers”.
In 2016, mummified remains of a female were found in a Mongolian cave deep inside the Altai Mountains.
The cave was around 2,800 metres above sea level, and the remains were very well preserved, along with an iron kettle, clay vase and bowl.
The high altitude and sea air helped to preserve the body, the Centre of Cultural Heritage of Mongolia claimed.
However, it wasn’t the body, clothing or other items that sparked debate – it was the very familiar shoes.
Many were quick to notice that they looked like a classic pair of Adidas white trainers with red and black stripes on from the company’s snow boarding range of boots.
One person wrote, on Reddit: “Wait until Adidas finds out, they might sue for copyright infringement.”.
And another commented: “F**king time travellers, here they are could be preventing disasters and all that, but nooo, there teaching pharaohs how to make Adidas trainers.
“What’s next? Teaching them how to make gucchi bags?”
A third wrote: “Time travel confirmed.”
A fashion “expert”, speaking to local news outlet the Siberian Times said: “Overall they look quite kinky but stylish – I wouldn’t mind wearing them now in a cold climate.
“Those high-quality stitches, the bright red and black stripes, the length – I would buy them now in no time.”
It later emerged that the body was that of a Turkic seamstress who made the shoes herself in around the year 900.
It was mused that she created the shoes herself, rather than time travelling to a store to buy them only to go back and die in a cave, although nobody can be quite sure what the truth is.
Galbadrakh Enkhbat, director of the cultural heritage centre, said: “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.”
Experts found that the woman had died from a blow to the skull – but at least she went out in style.
