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 on the banks of the Euphrates (in present-day Syria) in 165 BC and conquered by the Romans in 165 AD. 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 256–257 AD. 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 the desert sand for centuries: from walls to frescoes, 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 Europa (1928–1937) and in Budapest, Hungary. On the front, the red wood 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 shape, were established features of Roman knife sheaths from the late 2nd to 4th centuries. The scabbard is also fitted with two brass rings and a leather strap. Other fittings found suggest that such sheaths 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 dagger itself no longer survives, this reconstruction is based on parts of the blade and handle from surviving or partially surviving examples from the 3rd century (found in Hungary, Denmark, and Switzerland, among others). Unlike the broad, double-edged pugio of the early Roman Empire, here the blade 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 wooden, and the bolster and pommel are brass. Interestingly, the handle cap bears certain similarities to the pommels later used on some saxophone knives during the Migration and Viking periods.

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

Details:

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

- 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 sheath with red leather cover, brass fittings 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 regular maintenance of the blade, for example with Ballistol, a universal oil ideal for preserving steel products.
At Tienda Medieval, we have thousands of medieval and other period products. Discover them!