English Heritage announced on Friday that a 2,000-year-old Roman knife handle shaped like a gladiator, discovered in northern England, will be put on public display for the first time.
The well-preserved object was found by two divers in 1997 in the River Tyne at Corbridge near Hadrian’s Wall, a Roman fortification. It was recently donated to English Heritage.
The copper alloy handle, part of a folding knife, is believed to have been a souvenir. Gladiators were celebrated figures who entertained the public in arenas, and this handle reflects their celebrity status.
Archaeologist Frances McIntosh described the knife handle as a testament to the pervasive celebrity culture of the time, even reaching the edge of the Roman Empire at Hadrian’s Wall.
The handle, depicting a muscular left-handed secutor, is only the second of its kind found in England. The secutor was a type of gladiator who fought with a short sword and shield. The left-handedness of the secutor depicted on the handle is unusual, as the Romans considered being left-handed to be unlucky.
McIntosh suggested that the specific depiction of a left-handed gladiator on the handle could represent a real individual. Other gladiatorial objects found in England include glass vials for perfumes and a piece of glass with a painted leopard, possibly depicting an animal hunt.
The knife handle will be showcased at the Corbridge Roman site in 2025.
By Sachin Ravikumar
