Unearthed at Hadrian’s Wall: The Secret Legacy of Ancient Roman Boxing Gloves Revealed
Though they date back to 120 A.D., the gloves don’t show too much sign of their age; they still fit comfortably on a hand and the leather bears the imprint of an ancient set of knuckles.
The two gloves, similar though not a matching pair, were found in a pre-Hadrianic Roman cavalry barrack, beneath a stone fort known as Vindolanda. The barrack was discovered last year, though the contents are still being uncovered. So far the discoveries include military items, such as swords, and personal possessions belonging to both gladiators and their families.
“The hairs stand up on the back of your neck when you realize that you have discovered something as astonishing as these boxing gloves,” said the Vindolanda Trust’s director of excavations.
The gloves were extraordinarily preserved, as they had been concealed beneath a concrete floor. The dry, oxygen-free conditions protected the natural materials from decomposition. Though boxing was well documented through mosaics and paintings, until now, no physical evidence of the sport had been located.
“It’s always tremendously exciting when you find something that you know about through other sources – depictions on wall paintings, vases … but to see the real thing is something quite unique,” said Patricia Birley, former director of the Vindolanda Trust.
“You learn so much more … For example, the larger of the gloves has been repaired. The owner has really wanted to keep this thing going, so he’s done his utmost to repair it and patch it. It’s that human touch that you get through the real object.”
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