What can you see No.7

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Bottom one probably - sharp edges mean 'new' in tracks to me.

Though, one could argue that the bottom one has sharper edges on the sole pattern. Maybe the sand is slightly damper on the top one :)
 

Fadcode

Full Member
Feb 13, 2016
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Cornwall
Looks to me that the bottom one is a natural step, moving forward with pressure showing on the toe, and the top one has been placed lightly then picked up upwards rather than moving forward in a natural way, so I would say the bottom one is the older one. I am assuming the same shoe made both prints.
 
D

Deleted member 56522

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Two of the same footprints in the same direction, on darker sand so an igneous? area that was covered with flowing or washed water. The top is less distinct and the dirt at the front is in lumps which indicates the sand was damp, whilst the one at the bottom is quite distinct, but the loose sand indicates that some of the sand was dry.

I would suggest either the sand is damper at the top (so closer to the sea?) but that seems unlikely or the person on the top was running and that the one at the bottom was walking, but it had time to dry out and then collapse, so was made earlier. But it still doesn't add up.

Given they appear to be the same print, I'd go with someone walking/running up and down a beach, or perhaps footprints where people have been playing some game.
 
D

Deleted member 56522

Guest
The two foot prints are someone walking backwards!
I think people often walk very differently when walking backwards because we use the muscles very differently (someone with a sand pit needs to try it!). But perhaps if someone were just "moving" slowly forward and then "moving" slowly back, it would work
 

Broch

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Jan 18, 2009
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Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Yeh, we did an exercise trying to see if it was possible to fool a tracker by walking backwards on a course using a dedicated sand pit; it's pretty much impossible.

The kind of 'splatter' shown on the top print is 'drag' or 'pick up' typically more visible when the person is moving faster or tired (according to theory anyway :)).
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
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Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
Not naturally occurring prints. Made with deliberate intention of being enigmatic. Same shoe used to make deliberate print at intervals with different pressures.

PS Enjoying this series now I've tracked down where all the posts are in one place. Series is pointing up what a difficult art tacking is. Would be nice to know the "right" answer to at least some of them.

PPS Had you heard about the aboriginal tracker who followed a steer rustled in Alice Springs all the way to a shoe shop in Adelaide?
 
D

Deleted member 56522

Guest
Not naturally occurring prints. Made with deliberate intention of being enigmatic. Same shoe used to make deliberate print at intervals with different pressures.

PS Enjoying this series now I've tracked down where all the posts are in one place. Series is pointing up what a difficult art tacking is. Would be nice to know the "right" answer to at least some of them.

PPS Had you heard about the aboriginal tracker who followed a steer rustled in Alice Springs all the way to a shoe shop in Adelaide?
Was it the sole one?
 
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bearbait

Full Member
They do seem to be from the same shoe.

I think that the top print is someone stopping suddenly, and the lower one someone walking normally. I feel that the lower one is the older, despite the main tread being clearer, as the edges of the print are less sharp.

I also think that the tracks were carefully made, e.g. someone walking slowly, or deliberately perhaps as oldtimer says.

The substrate shows marks which are similar to those caused by ripples on a beach.
 

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