Archaeologists Find Roman Swords Believed To Be 1,900 Years Old

Archaeologists have uncovered some swords that would look right at home in a movie about the Roman Empire.

Israeli archaeologists were poling around a cave along the Dead Sea when they came across 4 swords, as well as the head of a kind of javelin known as a pilum.

What's crazy at thises priceless artifacts appear to have been chilling out in that cave for nearly 2,000 years.

According to The New York Post, the area where the items were found was known to have been a hideout for Jewish rebels sometime in the 130s AD.

In other words, a long-ass time ago...

Additionally, researchers found a bronze coin at the mouth cave. This helped to narrow the date down even further. It just so happens it was from the time of the Bar Kokhba which lasted from 132 to 135 AD.

Some Researchers Believe The Swords Were Booty Stolen From Roman Soldiers

Some experts believe they know why the swords wound up in that cave centuries ago.

“The hiding of the swords and the pilum in deep cracks in the isolated cave … hints that the weapons were taken as booty from Roman soldiers or from the battlefield,” archaeologist Eitan Klein said in a statement, per The Post. “Obviously, the rebels did not want to be caught by the Roman authorities carrying these weapons.”

Obviously. Cruising around with a Roman sword that you're not supposed to have on your belt would mean you were asking for trouble. Best to keep it in your cave.

These finds — which were uncovered a couple of months ago — have yet to be carbon-dated. That means we could be in for a big disappointment.

What if the results come back and they say these things only date back to the 1950s or something? We can debate the veracity of carbon dating, but I think people would be pretty bummed if these things turn out to be props from Ben-Hur.

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