CNN —A rare knife handle in the shape of a gladiator has been discovered at Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England, shining a new light on the celebrity status of the ancient Roman combatants. The secutor gladiator depicted on the knife handle wears a helmet, holds a big shield and has his left hand out, which would have been holding a sword. The knife handle was discovered in a river at Corbridge Roman Town on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. The 2,000-year-old knife handle was found in the Tyne River at Corbridge Roman Town on Hadrian’s Wall, a defensive barrier built by the occupying Romans in northeast England. “This 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 added.

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Persons: ”, ” Frances McIntosh, ” McIntosh, McIntosh, ” “, “, Ridley Scott’s Organizations: CNN, Heritage, East, English Heritage Locations: England, Rome, Corbridge, Hadrian’s, Northumberland, Tyne, Britain, Roman, United States