The cylindrical device measures less than one-half inch in diameter, and has been identified as a 1,600-year-old miniature version of a Roman lock, which were usually much larger and made of iron ...

The extremely delicately crafted gold and iron box lock measures only 1.1 cm x 1.2 cm and must have been made by a highly specialized craftsman/locksmith in the Roman provinces. Credit: LWL /S.

The find looked like a miniature version of some other ancient Roman artifacts — and left archaeologists stunned. Constantin Fried visited a field in Petershagen in 2023 to search the area with ...