Gladiator hilt found near Hadrian’s Wall –

A rare gladiator-shaped knife hilt discovered by divers in 1997 has been donated to English Heritage and will be put on public display for the first time next year. The copper-alloy statue was found on Hadrian’s Wall near the Roman town of Corbridge in Northumberland and had been preserved in the waters of the River Tyne for 2,000 years in pristine condition. Originally the hilt of a folding knife, it is the second Roman gladiator hilt to be found in England.

The figure depicts a decapitation-class gladiator, a heavily armed warrior armed with a heavy rectangular shield and short sword. He wears a full-coverage helmet with two small openings that allow for see-through, a manica (arm guard) on his right arm, and an oklea (leg guard) on his left leg. The pursuers again sent out snares, bareheaded and without shields, armed with tridents, nets, and daggers. This particular tackler is left-handed. Being left-handed was considered unlucky, so this was a distinguishing characteristic of a gladiator and may indicate that the figure is depicting a specific warrior.

The Colchester Vase is another rare gladiator depiction of British origin, depicting a battle between a gladiator and a gladiator, both of whom are named. Colchester, known to the Romans as Camulodunum, was a major city in the southeast with two theaters where gladiatorial fights may have been staged. Corbridge, on the other hand, was a civilian settlement associated with a fortress on the remote northern frontier of the Roman Empire. It was a bustling town that played an important commercial role as a supply base for the Roman army and was one of only two civilian communities of substance within the city walls (the other being Carlisle). It had granaries, public buildings, an aqueduct, temples, and officers’ housing, but no theater or arena.

Dr Francis Mackintosh, Curator of English Heritage Collections at Hadrian’s Wall and the North East, said: “It is extremely rare to find a gladiator memorabilia in Britain and to find one so well-preserved and interesting is particularly remarkable.

“Although gladiators were enslaved and socially ostracized for their profession, they could still become huge celebrities. Gladiators and ‘spectacles’ were an integral part of Roman cultural life and existed throughout the Roman Empire. This phenomenon inspired sports Creation of souvenirs such as decorative ceramics and glasses, lamps and statues.

“Gladiators had a sexual allure, and despite huge social differences, there were still high-status Roman women who ‘fell in love’ with these humble gladiators. This beautifully crafted hilt proves how pervasive this celebrity culture was and has always been Hadrian’s Wall stretched to the edge of the Roman Empire.”

Tyne knife handles are well cast and of high quality. It is not mass produced. It was most likely a commissioned work, and it would be a shame if it accidentally fell into the river.

The handle will be put on display in the Roman town of Corbridge in 2025, along with other artefacts found in the River Tyne.