Roman Dagger Revealed Spectacular Decoration

In 2019, a 19-year-old archaeology intern named Nico Calman unearthed a roughly 2,000-year-old Roman dagger still inside its sheath in the grave of a soldier at Haltern am See in Germany. Centuries of corrosion had left the weapon almost unrecognizable, but nine months of careful restoration revealed a spectacularly decorated 13-inch iron blade, silver-inlaid sheath, and remnants of its belt fittings. Archaeologists considered the find exceptionally rare because Roman soldiers were not normally buried with their military equipment.

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