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Younghusband
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Younghusband

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February 7th, 2010

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The Swiss Roman Army Knife

Swiss Roman Army Knife

I tweeted this but it is too awesome not to share here: The world’s first Swiss Army knife has been revealed – made 1,800 years before its modern counterpart.

Makes you wonder if there was ever a Primus MacGyverus…

Via William Gibson, aka @GreatDismal.

Comments to this entry

Curzon
February 7, 2010
6:38 am
Interesting, yet confusing. I understood that the fork was first developed between the 7th-10th centuries. Looking at the wikipedia article, the historical narrative is confused. First it says:

"[The fork] was not commonly used in Western Europe until the 10th century."

Then it says, directly referencing this article:

"The Romans used forks and there are many examples of Roman forks on display in museums around Europe. Examples of these forks date from the second century A.D."

Then it says:

"By the 11th century, the table fork had made its way to Italy. In Italy, it became quite popular by the 14th century, being commonly used for eating by merchant and upper classes by 1600."

So fork technology was lost during the fall of Rome but was reintroduced a thousand years later? I'm confused. I have the hunch that this article may be much "younger" than the museum claims.
popular gusts
February 7, 2010
11:49 am
I saw that ten years ago at that museum in Cambridge and was impressed by it. Nice to see it again.
Gnoll110
February 7, 2010
1:53 pm
@Curzon

I understand a lot of stuff was lots during (406AD to 476AD) and in the two hundred years after the fall of the western empire. Population fell making the economic retention of skill more difficult. The population of Rome itself fell from over a million to about 15,000. Much land was reclaimed by forest. Things like a foot powered potter's wheel were lost. What was lost varied between region.
Stanley
February 8, 2010
4:04 am
After the collapse of the Roman empire, the road system in Arabia fell into disrepair, causing wheeled transportation to disappear and be replaced by camels and donkeys. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to see the fork fade in and out of history. Great army knife.
Tweets that mention ComingAnarchy.com » The Swiss Roman Army Knife -- Topsy.com
February 8, 2010
6:14 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Matthew Stinson, Quiet Babylon Feeds. Quiet Babylon Feeds said: News: The Swiss Roman Army Knife http://bit.ly/98WHiI [...]
Tdaxp
February 8, 2010
12:48 pm
I had a simar reaction on seeing the fork... It was (re-?)introduced to westernEurope in the Dark Ages by a Byzantine Princess who married the Doge

Interesting!