Four exquisitely-preserved Roman swords have been found after 1,900 years in a cave near the Dead Sea.
The swords, their wooden hilts, scabbards and steel blades were found during an excavation by Israeli archaeologists two months ago, it was announced on Wednesday.
Researchers believe the swords – which were found with a pilum, the head of a javelin – were stashed in the cavern by Jewish rebels during an uprising against the Romans in the 130s CE.
The artefacts were dated based on their typology and are yet to undergo radiocarbon dating.
Archaeologists found the swords while returning to a cave near the desert oasis of Ein Gedi to document an inscription found decades ago.
“At the back of the cave, in one of the deepest parts of it, inside a niche, I was able to retrieve that artefact – the Roman pilum head, which came out almost in mint condition,” said Asaf Gayer, an archaeologist with Ariel University.
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Guy Stiebel, a Tel Aviv University archaeologist specialising in Roman military history, said: “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.”
The high-quality preservation is exceptionally rare for Roman weapons, with just a handful of other examples in existence, he said.
Mr Stiebel added that while the swords were found on the edge of the Roman empire, it’s likely they were crafted in a distant European province and brought to Judea by soldiers.
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Research to determine how they were made, and the materials used, will be carried out in the future.
The discovery was part of the Judean Desert Survey, a project centred on documenting and excavating Dead Sea caves to safeguard precious artefacts from looters.
The cool, arid conditions in the cave have preserved hundreds of items in great condition, including the ancient parchment fragments known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
