Claw hammer
Martillo de uñas (sacaclavos)
- Date
- c. century I-II d.C. · confidence low
- Place
- Rome, Lazio, Italy
- Credited to
- Roman carpenters
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A hammer with one face for driving nails and a split claw at the other end to pull nails by leverage. Iron Roman examples with an eye for the handle have been found at sites across the Empire.
Dating rests on Roman Empire finds without precise context; very similar claw hammers exist in Han China, and the form cannot be securely attributed to a single centre.
What it led to
- nailed carpentry in Roman ships, scaffolds and buildings
- reuse of iron nails, an expensive metal
- the modern wood- and steel-handled claw hammer