London (CNN) A pair of durable boots is a must-have in anyone's winter wardrobe -- and a team of archaeologists has found a timeless pair in a very unlikely place.

The skeleton of a man, dating back around 500 years, has been discovered face down in the mud under London's River Thames, with his thigh-high leather footwear remaining virtually intact.

The find was made in Bermondsey, south London, by archaelogists working on London's new "super sewer," a £4.2 billion ($5.4 billion) tunnel that will capture, store and transfer raw sewage and rainwater that currently overflows into the river. The mystery of the man's sturdy (and sought after) footwear has prompted the team to investigate further.

Leather was an expensive commodity in Tudor times, and it is unlikely someone would be buried wearing such a highly prized item, according to MOLA Headland, the firm leading the project -- meaning the man's demise was likely premature.

But the company notes that the banks of the Thames were a hazardous place in the late 15th and early 16th century, to which the skeleton has been dated.

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