Three-pronged Roman brass fork.

Give away a three-pronged brass Roman fork.

Roman fork made of brass, with three prongs

The claim that the fork was not invented until the Middle Ages is a widespread misconception. Although forks were actually only introduced into Western Europe during the Middle Ages (and even later in much of Northern Europe), archaeological finds show that they were already in use in Roman times. However, Roman forks appear to have been much rarer than Roman spoons ( cochlearia and ligulae ). In archaeological circles, it is believed that they were primarily used for serving rather than eating, although it is not excluded that some could also be used as table forks.

During the excavations, examples ranging from simple to elaborately crafted were unearthed in many different shapes, with two, three, or even (rarely) four prongs and different handle designs. Although some rare finds were made from bone, most surviving pieces (on display in museums across Europe) are made of base and precious metals such as silver and bronze.

The fork, in its simplest, two-pronged form, is thought to have originated in the Roman Empire, where it was used as an improved skewer for garnishing and serving, or for carving meat. Two-pronged forks were probably used until late antiquity. Three- and four-pronged forks, which were probably also used as cutlery, are largely attributed to late antiquity (ca. 3rd–5th centuries AD). It is assumed that all fork variants, regardless of their purpose as carving, serving, or dining forks, were reserved for wealthy citizens of the upper and upper middle classes.

This reproduction of a small Roman three-pronged fork (Latin: fuscinula ) is made of brass. The straight handle, with simple but attractive ornamentation, ends in a sharp point. This beautiful piece of Roman cutlery is excellent for living history purposes and a lovely addition to any Roman reenactor's kit.



Details:

- Material: brass

- Total length: approx. 13.5cm

- Palette dimensions: approx. 2.8 cm long / 1.4 cm wide

- Weight: approx. 5 g



Legal notice:
Not suitable for direct contact with food.

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