Roman gladiator knife handle found in River Tyne at Corbridge

A Roman knife handle carved into the shape of a gladiator has been discovered in a river.

The 2,000-year-old item was found in the River Tyne at Corbridge on Hadrian’s Wall.

Dr Frances McIntosh from English Heritage said it is rare to find gladiator memorabilia in Britain and “to find such a well preserved and interesting piece is particularly remarkable”.

The discovery is said add weight to how far-reaching the celebrity status of gladiators was across the Roman Empire.

Made of copper alloy, the knife handle shows a muscular, secutor gladiator with heavy equipment including a shield, sword and helmet.

English Heritage believes the figurine could be a specific gladiator as he is left-handed which was considered unlucky at the time.

Dr McIntosh said that despite being enslaved, gladiators could become “huge celebrities” with “sex appeal” and were an “integral part of Roman cultural life”.

They inspired the creation of sporting memorabilia such as ceramics, glass cups, lamps and figurines.

“The beautifully made knife handle is a testament to how pervasive this celebrity culture was, reaching all the way to Hadrian’s Wall at the very edge of the Roman Empire,” she said.

“Even now, almost two thousand years later, the fascination around gladiators persists.”

English Heritage plans to display the item at Corbridge Roman Town in 2025.