Concealed shoes

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/concealed-shoes

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earliest dated example?Found in Winchester Cathedral, associated with choir stalls installed in 1308
2. What is the repository of finds?Northampton Museum's Concealed Shoe Index, containing 1900 reports as of 2012
3. What are secret shoes hidden in walls?Tiny shoes that people put inside houses, like in chimneys or under floors, to keep bad spirits away.
4. Why would people hide shoes in their houses?They believed the shoes could protect the home from ghosts, witches, or other scary things.

Apotropaic: Having the power to ward off evil or bad luck; a protective charm.
Liminal Spaces: Transitional or in-between places within a building, often associated with thresholds.
Material Culture: The physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture.