1,500-year-old knife set unearthed at ancient city of Hadrianopolis

KARABÜK

Archaeologists have uncovered a set of knives dating back approximately 1,500 years at the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in the northern province of Karabük, offering new insights into daily life and livestock practices in the region during the late Roman and early Byzantine periods.

According to the head of the excavations, Ersin Çelikbaş, the knives were discovered in the kitchen section of a structure known as the “bath complex” during ongoing restoration work.

The find consists of four knives of varying sizes, along with a sharpening stone locally referred to as “kösüre taşı,” widely used in the region to sharpen cutting tools during the Ottoman period.

Its presence alongside the knives suggests that such materials were in use much earlier than previously documented.

“When first uncovered, the knives were highly fragmented, consisting of around 250 pieces,” Çelikbaş said. “We reconstructed them in the laboratory, restoring their original forms.”

He emphasized that the discovery of a knife set in a single location is particularly significant.

“The presence of these tools suggests that the inhabitants of this complex were engaged in animal husbandry,” he explained.

Çelikbaş also highlighted the rarity of the find from a typological perspective, describing the knives as uncommon examples, especially as a complete set.

“This provides valuable data not only methodologically but also in understanding the social and economic life of the period,” he added.