In many sites in Western countries, experts can often unearth some strange things, such as Hadrian's Wall unearthed an iron tool called "hippopotamus", which has a peculiar shape and has never been seen before, and for a time experts are not clear about what the role is. Later, after in-depth research, experts speculated on the three most likely roles, what exactly to do with the "iron hippopotamus"? If you are also curious, the following small series to reveal the secret to you.
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Hadrian's Wall, located on the Island of Britain, was a fortification built by the ancient Roman Emperor Hadrian, which stretched for about 115 kilometers from the mouth of the Tyne River in the east to Solvay Bay in the west, effectively defending against the Scottish army at that time. Archaeological studies have shown that Hadrian's Wall was built in 122 AD and has a history of more than 1,900 years, but it is now dilapidated, and the once tall walls have collapsed. Since the 19th century, Western archaeologists have been committed to the conservation and study of Hadrian's Wall, and have cleaned and excavated many areas that have been destroyed, thus clarifying the structure of Hadrian's Wall, such as walls, lookouts and castles, as well as barracks, granaries and hospitals, and even some churches.
Experts said that in addition to being a fortification, Hadrian's Wall is also a kind of "face project" of ancient Rome, reflecting its strong strength and deterrence to the enemy. In the late Hadrian era, the great wall also became rich towns and cities, and the surrounding trade was greatly developed. In recent years, archaeologists have found many sites in and around Hadrian's Wall, and have also unearthed a large number of daily necessities of ancient Roman residents, such as engraved plates, pottery and bronzes, etc., but what makes experts feel new is the chessboard. In a post site, when experts cleared the ground, they found a small square painted on a floor tile, which was determined to be a military chessboard called Latrukurum after research, but unfortunately no pieces were found, but experts speculated that the pieces were dirt and were thrown away when they ran out.
In addition to the chessboard, experts also found a strangely shaped iron tool, which had been cleaned out of 6 pieces before and after, and they were the same size, presumably produced by the same workshop. This iron object looks like an old goose, with a long handle, about 33 centimeters, just like the neck of an old goose, and then at the bottom is a piece of rusty iron, with two curved wings, the tail is also cocked, and there is a hook, which looks like an old iron goose from a distance, but Western archaeologists call it an "iron hippopotamus". The role of the "Iron Hippopotamus" has always been a mystery, because similar iron tools have never been found before, so it is impossible to determine what it does for a while. Later, after studying and combining the living habits of people in the ancient Roman period, archaeologists deduced the three most likely roles of the "Iron Hippopotamus":
Function one: May be a horseshoe. As we all know, the nails of horseshoes will grow indefinitely, so they need to be repaired regularly, and at the same time, horseshoes must be nailed to the horseshoes, which on the one hand helps to protect the horseshoes, on the other hand, it can also enhance the horse's running ability. However, in the ancient Roman period, there was no kind of horseshoe that appeared later, so the "iron hippopotamus" is equivalent to a horseshoe, and it can play the same role as the horseshoe when it is fixed to the horse's hoof, and the most important thing is that the ground area of this "iron hippopotamus" is large, and the horse is not easy to sink when walking in the swamp or silt field.
Function two: may be a kind of iron shoes. As mentioned above, horses need horseshoes, and ancient Roman soldiers sometimes needed to wear iron shoes, and the "iron hippopotamus" may be the iron shoes worn by ancient Roman soldiers. For example, when ancient Roman soldiers walked in the thorny ground, wearing an "iron hippopotamus" could protect the soles of their feet, and if they walked on the ice in winter, wearing an "iron hippopotamus" could also play a role in preventing slippage. Some experts even said that soldiers who can wear the "iron hippopotamus" have made many achievements in battle, so the "iron hippopotamus" is also used as a reward, and wearing the "iron hippopotamus" will also be admired by other soldiers.
Function three: It may be a sign or decoration. Some experts believe that the "iron hippopotamus" may not be used to wear, but a special symbol, such as setting up an "iron hippopotamus" on different city wall buildings, which indicates a different meaning, but what the specific meaning is not clear to experts. In addition, it may also be a decoration set on the castle, after all, it looks like a big goose or a big goose from a distance.
Until now, there is still no accurate conclusion on what the "Iron Hippopotamus" is used for, and it is only hoped that experts can find more related cultural relics in Hadrian's Wall to solve the mystery of the "Iron Hippopotamus". If you have a different understanding and opinion of the "Iron Hippopotamus", you are also welcome to leave a message to discuss and communicate.
Resources:
Hadrian Gozworthy Publisher: Beijing Yanshan Publishing House
Wenlan Hairun Studio Editor-in-Chief Wen Xiucai, this article is written by: Special History Writer: Liu Lijiang's