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The Roman Army Knife: Or how the ingenuity of the Swiss was beaten by 1,800 years
The world's first Swiss Army knife' has been revealed - made 1,800 years before its modern counterpart. An intricately designed Roman implement, which dates back to 200AD, it is made from silver but has an iron blade. It features a spoon, fork as well as a retractable spike, spatula and small tooth-pick.Experts believe the spike may have been used by the Romans to extract meat from snails. The 3in x 6in (8cm x 15cm) knife was excavated from the Mediterranean area more than 20 years ago and was obtained by the museum in 1991. The unique item is among dozens of artefacts exhibited in a newly refurbished Greek and Roman antiquities gallery at the Fitzwilliam Museum, in Cambridge. I smell Piltdown Man and a rush of visitors to the FitzWilliam Museum, but look at the pictures at the link and you decide. Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-02-07 |
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