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Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#31

Post by _jal »

musingsole wrote: post #10
nuccy wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is another one restored to a better shape [1], close-up [2]. I must admit it doesn't look as perfect as replicas (e.g. in movies), obviously we have much better and precise technology/craftsmanship these days. Probably "as new" may not differ that much from what we restore to. 1. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeology-intern... 2. https://www.archaeology.org/news/8493-200302-germany-roman-d...

I can never get over how real sword (or dagger) handles look so painful to wield. Maybe it's that most of them have lost some leather wrapping or else were just ornamental...but I've seen several that just looked guaranteed to hurt the wielder with each swing.

You should see the other guy.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#32

Post by s1artibartfast »

selleck wrote: post #15

Sometimes thought it is a bummer living in the states, less of an opportunity to go find some 1000+ year old relics knowing full well the likelihood of that happening is slim even if I lived in another country with bronze/iron age.

There are many places you can find 10k old relics in the USA. Arrow and Spear heads are common, as well as petroglyphs.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#33

Post by s1artibartfast »

voz_ wrote: post #21
saetaes wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People lived in the US 1000+ years ago, and I feel pretty confident that if you know where to look, relics can still be found.

Yes, but they were not nearly advanced enough for metallurgy and the like. Their artifacts, while no less important, fade away far quicker.

Stone artifacts last longer than metal ones.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#34

Post by wizzwizz4 »

adventured wrote: post #9
atarian wrote: post #8

I wonder what archaeologists 2000 years from now will unearth as news-worthy.

A still working Apple II that was forgotten in a bunker.

They'd have to replace the capacitors, but it's perhaps possible.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#35

Post by murrayb »

bell-cot wrote: post #2

Just once (4th paragraph), the article refers to the object as a "short sword". That strikes me (passably-well-read in some related areas) as very different from "dagger". Any more-expert folks here, to have a sense for how big a deal that is (in the context)?

Agreed it looks way more "chopppy" than "stabby" to me.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#36

Post by pugworthy »

atarian wrote: post #8

I wonder what archaeologists 2000 years from now will unearth as news-worthy.

Space archaeology will be really interesting. So many satellites and other things to be found scattered around Earth, the solar system, and beyond.

Someone some day will perhaps dig up a completely buried Mars lander under windblown sand, or send their fast vehicle out to capture images of the Voyager probes.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#37

Post by ummonk »

selleck wrote: post #15

Sometimes thought it is a bummer living in the states, less of an opportunity to go find some 1000+ year old relics knowing full well the likelihood of that happening is slim even if I lived in another country with bronze/iron age.

Has the genocide of Native Americans become so complete that we forget about their existence mere days after Thanksgiving?

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#38

Post by ummonk »

voz_ wrote: post #21
saetaes wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People lived in the US 1000+ years ago, and I feel pretty confident that if you know where to look, relics can still be found.

Yes, but they were not nearly advanced enough for metallurgy and the like. Their artifacts, while no less important, fade away far quicker.

It’s the other way around - stone lasts, while advanced metallurgy (iron) has a tendency to rust away.

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#39

Post by voz_ »

ummonk wrote: post #38
voz_ wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but they were not nearly advanced enough for metallurgy and the like. Their artifacts, while no less important, fade away far quicker.

It’s the other way around - stone lasts, while advanced metallurgy (iron) has a tendency to rust away.

My understanding that advanced stone, shaped with metal, lasts. However, simple stone tools (think axes, hammers, flint arrowheads etc) tend to get easily lost. This is made furthermore difficult by the difficulty (impossibility?) of distinguishing them on tools like metal detectors

Re: Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland unearths 2k-year-old Roman dagger

#40

Post by ransom1538 »

selleck wrote: post #15

Sometimes thought it is a bummer living in the states, less of an opportunity to go find some 1000+ year old relics knowing full well the likelihood of that happening is slim even if I lived in another country with bronze/iron age.

BUT!! The US has great magnet fishing - tons of guns thrown over bridges. (Be careful though - WWII guys threw contraband over these bridges - grenades etc).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9D1hcwq-8

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