When Rome fell, many important technologies were lost for centuries — including the Swiss Army Knife:
The world’s first Swiss Army knife has been revealed — made 1,800 years before its modern counterpart. An intricately designed Roman implement, which dates back to 200AD, it is made from silver but has an iron blade. It features a spoon, fork as well as a retractable spike, spatula and small tooth-pick.
Experts believe the spike may have been used by the Romans to extract meat from snails. It is thought the spatula would have offered a means of poking cooking sauce out of narrow-necked bottles.The 3in x 6in (8cm x 15cm) knife was excavated from the Mediterranean area more than 20 years ago and was obtained by the museum in 1991. The unique item is among dozens of artefacts exhibited in a newly refurbished Greek and Roman antiquities gallery at the Fitzwilliam Museum, in Cambridge.
(Hat tip to Younghusband.)