Roman Forks

Roman table forks are very rare and nearly all from unstratified contexts but a number can be identified as Roman by comparing the form and style of their handles with those of Roman spoons and thus dated to the third, fourth or fifth centuries AD. Some were for surgical or other uses. Roman netting needles have sometimes been wrongly identified as forks. There is no literary or pictorial evidence for Roman table forks. Forks continued in use in the Eastern Empire and were revived in Italy in the late Middle Ages. An appendix lists those examples known to the author.