Roman folding knives in the north-west provinces

Principal investigator: Nicola Hurt
Level: PhD level research

My PhD project investigates Roman folding knife handles in the north west provinces. These objects are known in bone/ivory and copper alloy across Britain, France and Germany, but there has been little synthetic study since Eugen von Merklin (1940). I aim to create a database of known examples in order to study the geographic and social distribution of folding knife handles, to develop a typology for the varied figural designs, and to investigate the significance of the iconographies represented on this artefact type. These are portable art objects, often carved or cast in intricate designs, and most studies focus on this aspect, grouping knife handles according to iconography. I hope to place these objects in the context of their use and deposition, using the archaeological context to illuminate the potential significance of the motifs chosen. The more detailed the information regarding the find spot, the more conclusions can be drawn regarding the geographic spread of folding knives and the popularity of different iconographies.

Referee: John Pierce (Kings College, London)

Audit data

• Created: 4 years ago
• Created by: Sam Moorhead