Trajanic / Hadrianic Pugio

[Crispvs]

The dagger and sheath you show from Carnuntum actually almost certainly dates to the first half (possible second quarter) of the first century AD. The decorative scheme on the sheath is typical of this period. There is no telling how long it was used of course.

The Titelburg pugio probably dates to around the same time or a few years before. It may possibly be from the late first century AD but the form of the pommel expansion suggest to me an early first century date of production.

For the Trajan to Hadrian period we have very little evidence for daggers. One is shown on the stele of Caius Castricius Victor from Budapest which must date to the early years of the second century AD, but I am not aware of any other daggers either in depictions or so far recovered from the archaeological record which date to any period in the second century AD before the Antonine period, by which time they seem to have developed the crescentic pommel expansion and to have become somewhat larger. The evidence so far would suggest that they were reasonably uncommon during the first half (and possibly longer) of the second century AD.

If you are putting together a Trajanic / Hadrianic impression then, I would advise not including a pugio, as we don't really know how much they were being carried and what form any possible blades, handles or sheaths may have had.

Crispvs