Roman Penis-Handled Nail Cleaner Found in England

During preparations for road construction near Cheltenham, England, archaeologists unearthed a copper nail cleaner with a handle shaped like a penis, dating to the late Roman period (300-400 C.E.). The artifact, discovered by Archaeological Research Services Ltd. ahead of Gloucestershire County Council's M5 Junction 10 improvement project, features a two-pronged blade for cleaning under fingernails and a loop for attaching to a strap. The phallus was a common Roman symbol of good luck and protection against evil, as noted by archaeologist Rob Collins of Newcastle University and Ilse Schuuring of the Netherlands. Similar finds have occurred in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire, but researchers call this 'the finest example known.' The excavation also yielded a fourth-century burial with grave goods including a copper bracelet and coins, a copper-alloy belt buckle with geometric decoration, and coins spanning 2,000 years, including Iron Age Dobunni tribe silver, Roman bronze from Allectus (293-296 C.E.) and Constantine I (306-337 C.E.), medieval pennies from 1216 C.E., and a 1963 sixpence of George VI. Modern finds include 18th-century Navy buttons and 19th-century livery buttons. The artifacts collectively illustrate centuries of settlement and activity in the area.