Dolabra

A dolabra (plural: Dolabrae ) is an ancient tool that was used in particular for entrenchments in the Roman army and is therefore also referred to as " Pionieraxt ". It had two cutting edges on a scarf, a vertical and a horizontal. The dolabra can therefore be described as a combination of ax and hoe. Accordingly, the dolabra was both for primary processing ( according to the later band hoe ) and for earthmoving and used for tearing down walls.

Dolabrae are mentioned several times in ancient literature, are depicted on the reliefs of Trajan's Column and come in archaeological material Imperial period military camp, as in the Roman camp Hedemünden before. They also belong to battlefield finds as in Kalkriese and the Harzhorn event.