The world of antiquities and archeology was rocked recently by an unheard-of discovery in a cave near the Dead Sea. Israeli archeologists discovered four Roman-era swords dating back nearly 1,900 years. However, the condition the swords are in has rocked the archeology community and provides a clear glimpse into a very specific time period.
The swords, including wooden and leather hilts and scabbards, as well as steel blades, were incredibly preserved, with the blades still being sharp. The artifacts were found earlier in the Summer by a team photographing inscriptions on a stalactite in a nearly inaccessible crevice.
The finding has stunned the world. Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, had this to say: “This is a unique time capsule, whereby fragments of scrolls, coins from the Jewish Revolt, leather sandals, and now even swords in their scabbards, sharp as if they had only just been hidden away today.”
It is believed that the artifacts, particularly the four swords and the head of a javelin, were hidden by Jewish rebels during an uprising against the Romans around the year 130. The swords have yet to be carbon-tested; rather, the estimation is based on the type of swords they are.
The pristine condition of the artifacts can be credited to the cool, arid climate of the desert caves surrounding the Dead Sea. Many writing fragments have been discovered intact, including the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. Archeologists returned to this particular cave to photograph and document the inscription on the stalactite, and were thrilled to make their find.
However, considering the location, the find almost didn’t happen. Asaf Gayer, an archaeologist with Ariel University who made the discovery of the javelin head, also known as a pilum, said this: “At the back of the cave, in one of the deepest part of it, inside a niche, I was able to retrieve that artifact – the Roman pilum head, which came out almost in mint condition.”
It was then that researchers decided to explore all of the crevices in the cave and discovered the remarkable swords. It is theorized that the swords, which were found on the eastern edge of the Roman Empire, were made somewhere in Europe and transported to Judaea by soldiers.
Guy Stiebel, a Tel Aviv University archaeologist specializing in Roman military history, had this to say about the find: “Each one of them can tell you an entire story. They also reflect a much grander narrative of the entire Roman Empire and the fact that from a small cave in a very remote place on the edge of the empire, we can actually shed light about those mechanisms is the greatest joy that the scientist can have.”
Further research on the artifacts will seek to reveal how and where they were manufactured and by whom. It is a stunning find in an unlikely place and begs the question: What else is out there waiting to be found? Every discovery helps shed light on a time period that fascinates, but with every find, more pieces of the puzzle are put together.
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