Ancient Roman bronze stylus

This ancient Roman bronze stylus, discovered in Tiel (central Netherlands), is a small, elongated writing instrument used during the Roman Empire. Made of bronze, it has a slender shape – one end is pointed, while the other is flattened or slightly flared.

This tool was used for writing on wooden tablets covered with a layer of wax. The sharp tip carved letters into the soft wax surface, creating text. The flattened tip allowed the wax to be smoothed and the writing erased, allowing the tablet to be reused.

Styles of this type were commonly used by officials, merchants, students, and soldiers for writing notes, letters, and documents.