Simulation and Ergonomic Study and Fabrication Technology of Salt Man Footwear

Abstract

The ‘salt man footwear’ is one of the most interesting cases of footwear in the world which, due to its physical properties and appearance, is estimated to belong to either the end of Parthian era or to the beginning of Sasanian era. The salt man is reported to have been a rider and, therefore, his footwear must have been of the ‘riding boots’ type. This specific type of footwear possesses certain features in accordance with the modern day technological rules. Therefore, the present study circles around this question that to what extent the sample under analysis corresponds with such rules. The research embarks on studying the characteristics of this footwear on the basis of a ‘descriptive-exponential’ research method. Evaluation and final judgment in order to achieve the technological pattern for simulation has been conducted through ‘deductive reasoning, meaning that the historical footwear has been compared with the technological rules of manufacturing modern day footwear and simulation has been embarked on in a ‘semi experimental’ method. The results of the analysis reveal that the leather used in the salt man footwear is of splitcalf and cow leather type and had been tannered with ‘lime and salt’. The threads used in this work are of the ‘sheep intestine’ type. The ‘size of the historical footwear, according to the technical report of the Research Center for Conservation of Cultural Relics and through the accordance done with the modern day technical rules of sizing, has been determined to be 42. The ergonomic comparative study not only makes possible the fabrication of a similar prototype, but also reveals that the technology for the fabrication of such kinds of footwear had existed 1700 years ago in Iran.