Four remarkably preserved Roman swords “in near mint condition” – with wood and leather hilts and steel blades still intact after 1,900 years – have been found in a remote cave near the Dead Sea.
A group of ancient artefacts – four swords and a spearhead known as a “pilum” – was found by Israeli archaeologists during excavations in an area known to have been the hideout of Jewish rebels against Rome in the 130s, leading researchers to believe the weapons are treasures booty captured by the rebels.
The shape of the three blades is reminiscent of the Roman “spatha” sword, and the fourth has a ring and pommel design consistent with the period, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.
A bronze coin from the time of the Bar Kokhba rebellion of 132-135 AD, which challenged the rule of the Roman Empire in Judea, was found at the entrance of a cave hiding weapons for nearly two millennia.
“The concealment of swords and pilums in deep crevices in isolated caves … suggests that the weapons were taken as booty from Roman soldiers or from the battlefield,” archaeologist Eitan Klein said in a statement. “Obviously, the rebels did not want to be caught by the Roman authorities carrying these weapons.”
Israeli archaeologists show four Roman-era swords and a spearhead found during recent excavations in a cave near the Dead Sea.AP
The swords, which were unearthed about two months ago, have yet to undergo radiocarbon dating to determine their exact age, but preliminary examination of them confirms that these are standard swords used by Roman soldiers stationed in Judea around the time of the Jewish revolt.
The rare find is part of the antiquities authority’s Judean Desert Survey, which aims to document and excavate caves near the Dead Sea and secure scrolls and other relics before they fall into the hands of looters.
Hundreds of caves have been investigated over the past six years, and 24 archaeological excavations have been conducted in selected caves.
The weapon has a wooden and leather handle and sheath and steel blade still intact after 1,900 years.REUTERS
The extraordinary discovery was made in a remote cave near the desert oasis of Ein Gedi. The Official Channel of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Researchers discovered a cache of ancient weapons stored in a crevice at the top of the cave. The Official Channel of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Earlier this summer, archaeologists returned to a cave in a remote and inaccessible cliff area near the desert oasis of Ein Gedi in the Judean Desert to document ink inscriptions on stalactites written in ancient Hebrew that were discovered 50 years earlier.
“In the back of the cave, in one of the deepest parts, in a recess, I was able to pick up the artifact – a Roman pilum head, which came out almost in mint condition,” said Asaf Gayer, an archaeologist with Ariel University.
Video footage of the excavation shows archaeologists’ unbridled excitement in response to the discovery, which they described as “shocking” and “wild.”
The sword is believed to have been taken as loot from the Roman army by Jewish rebels. AFP via Getty Images
“We are talking about a very rare discovery that has never been found in Israel,” said Dr. Klein.
Boaz Langford, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that the blade looks “as if it could be picked up and used strictly now, even 2,000 years after it was forged.”
The bladed weapon was likely made in a distant European region and brought to Judea by Roman soldiers, said Guy Stiebel, a Tel Aviv University archaeologist who specializes in Roman military history.
Researchers made the discovery while surveying caves around the Dead Sea to preserve scrolls and artifacts. The Official Channel of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Journalists gather around an exhibit displaying a shafted pilum (spear) and four swords dating from about 130 AD.AFP via Getty Images
He said their quality of preservation was extremely rare for Roman weapons, with only a handful of examples from elsewhere in the empire and beyond its borders.
“Every single one of them can tell you the whole story,” he said.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
