Scalpels, tweezers, and drills are part of today’s standard medical tool kit. Surgeons also relied on them in ancient Rome. Archaeologists recently unearthed a 2,000-year-old set of such instruments in an area of Hungary that was part of the Barbaricum, a region beyond the frontiers of the Empire that served as a buffer against outside threats. It’s one of the most extensive collections of first-century Roman medical tools ever recorded. It includes a forceps for pulling teeth, a bone lever for putting fractures back in place, and the handle of what appears to have been a drill used on skulls and for extracting weaponry from bone. Alongside the tools were the remains of a man presumed to have been a Roman citizen. The findings provide a glimpse into the advanced medical practices of ancient Romans and how far doctors may have journeyed to offer care. Says Tivadar Vida, leader of the excavation: “In ancient times, these were comparatively sophisticated tools made of the finest materials.”