Dura-Europos Roman Dagger With Sheath, 3rd Century AD

Discover Dura-Europos Roman Dagger With Sheath, 3rd Century AD

Dura-Europos Roman dagger with sheath, 3rd century AD



Dura-Europos (also Doura-Europos or Dura-Europus ) was a fortified city founded in 303 BC. It was founded on the banks of the Euphrates (in present-day Syria) in 165 BC and was conquered by the Romans in AD 165. Due to its geographical location at the crossroads of several empires, it was a melting pot of cultures and traditions. It remained in Roman hands for almost a century before being captured by the Sassanid Persians in AD 256–257. Following the conquest and deportation of its entire population, the city was abandoned and left to decay until it finally disappeared completely under layers of sand. It was rediscovered by chance in the 1920s and turned out to be an incredibly important archaeological excavation site, which over the years has unearthed a wealth of finds protected by desert sand for centuries: from walls to frescoes, passing through a wide variety of artifacts and even human remains of Sassanid and Roman soldiers.



The late Roman dagger offered here is based on fragments of decorative metal scabbard plates found during excavations at Dura Europos (1928–37) and at Budapest, Hungary. On the front side, the red wooden and leather scabbard is decorated with an openwork brass plate known as a counter . Although only about 200 examples have survived to this day, research results indicate that such decorative scabbard fittings, as well as the peculiar spoon-shaped scabbard form, were established features of Roman knife scabbards from the late 2nd to the 4th century. The scabbard is also fitted with two brass rings and a leather strap. Other fittings found suggest that such scabbards were hung from a belt by a cord and worn horizontally, with the unusual end piece serving as a counterweight to the dagger handle.



Since the hard dagger itself is no longer extant, this reconstruction is based on blade and handle parts of surviving or partially surviving 3rd-century examples (found in Hungary, Denmark and Switzerland, among others). Unlike the broad, double-edged pugio of the early Roman Empire, the blade here is much narrower and has a single curved edge and a slightly angled spine. It is made of EN45 spring steel and is unsharpened. The handle is made of wood, the bolster and pommel are made of brass. Interestingly, the handle cap shows certain similarities to the pommels later used on some saxophone knives during the Migration and Viking periods.



This Roman dagger is designed as a collector's item or decorative object and is also ideal as an accessory, for example to complete your costume. This finely crafted piece of Roman history will make your interpretation of a legionary of the late Roman Empire look even more authentic.



Details:

- Material: EN45 spring steel blade (carbon steel, not stainless), wooden handle, ferrule and knob made of cast brass

- Total length: approx. 31.5cm

- Blade length: approx. 19.5 cm

- Handle length: approx. 12cm

- Blade thickness: approx. 4 mm / 3 mm (cutting edges approx. 1 mm)

- Maximum blade width: approx. 2.2 cm

- Includes wooden case with red leather sheath, brass hardware and support rings.
- Weight without cover: approx. 207g

- Weight with case: approx. 342 g



The above specifications may vary slightly from specimen to specimen.



The steel used here is not stainless and may show slight signs of corrosion. We recommend taking care of the blade regularly, for example with Ballistol, a universal oil ideal for preserving steel products.



Please note:

This item is only sold to persons over 18 years of age. Please enter your date of birth on our order form. We also require a copy of your ID, driving licence or similar by email, scan, fax or post.


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