Archaeologists Are Investigating an Ancient Mosaic Depicting Sandals That Look Strangely Like Modern Flip-Flops

The colorful artwork decorates the frigidarium of the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Sicily

Sonja Anderson | Daily Correspondent

August 22, 2025

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In the ruins of an ancient Roman villa in Italy, archaeologists have unearthed a mosaic featuring familiar summer footwear. Found within the villa’s bath complex, the 1,600-year-old artwork depicts a pair of blue and tan sandals that look like modern flip-flops.

The Villa Romana del Casale is a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Sicily. Dating to the fourth century C.E., it’s built at the foot of a hill across three large terraces. Since archaeologists started carefully excavating the villa in the 1950s, they’ve unearthed monumental structures and artworks on its grounds. The property featured a courtyard, garden and guest suites, according to a guide from the archaeological park.

For four summers, Isabella Baldini, an archaeologist at Italy’s University of Bologna, has been leading a project called ARCHLabs at the Villa Romana del Casale. The program brings in 40 students and researchers from 11 countries, who train in archaeology on the site.

This summer, the students analyzed mosaics in the villa’s elaborate bath complex, according to a statement from the Sicilian government. The baths boast a gymnasium, massage room and large lavatory. These rooms are decorated with mosaics that provide clues about each space’s purpose, per the guide. For example, the massage room’s mosaic depicts an athlete receiving an oil massage. The flip-flop mosaic decorates the frigidarium, which features cold pools.

“The flip-flop is a recurring motif in late Roman baths, also attested in Spain, Cyrenaica, Cyprus, Jordan and Asia Minor,” Baldini tells Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. “As in other cases, the depiction of such a subject serves to characterize the building in question within its aristocratic and international dimension.”

Examples of thong sandals have been found on multiple continents, but the flip-flop design was probably “made famous by the ancient Egyptians,” wrote Meredith Shelby in a 2017 blog post for Johns Hopkins University’s Sheridan Libraries. In general, Romans wore sandals frequently. Soldiers opted for heavy-soled caligae, while civilians donned thinner, more casual soleae.

According to UNESCO, the Villa Romana del Casale hosts “the finest mosaics in situ anywhere in the Roman world.” Aside from the flip-flops, the house’s notable mosaics include a hunting scene, which depicts Romans capturing exotic animals to be exhibited at circuses in Rome, and the so-called “bikini girls,” which shows ten women participating in athletic competitions.

Historians initially thought the Villa Romana del Casale was an imperial residence, but researchers later concluded it actually belonged to a member of the elite.

During the Middle Ages, a landslide covered the villa in debris, which helped preserve it, according to Artnet. While it was rediscovered in the 1800s, archaeologists didn’t begin comprehensive excavations of the site until the 1950s. Today, researchers are taking advantage of new technologies to gain a better understanding of the property.

“One of the main goals is to unify the excavation areas, linking the various sectors to restore a coherent picture of the villa’s original layout,” Baldini tells Artnet. “Through 3D modeling, geophysical surveys and archival research, scholars are creating an integrated, digitally accessible record of the site.”

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Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in Chicago.