Page 79 - Manual of Roman Everyday Writing Volume 2: Writing Equipment

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Minerva handles are often found without the blade which has
contributed to the difficulties of their interpretation. They are
frequently found in the area between southern Britain, the north
of Gaul and the Rhine and mostly date to the 2nd century CE. When
using Minerva handles as evidence for literacy the possibility of
their having served as votive objects once detached from the blades
needs to be taken into account (Crummy 2003).

Fig. 53: Minerva-shaped spatula handle from Highworth,
Swindon (UK), 100–250 CE. PAS-ID WILT-9ECD01. ©
Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, CC-BY-4.0.

Further reading and images:

Božič and Feugère 2004, 31–33; Crummy 2003; Feugère 1995; Gaitzsch 1984;
Humphreys 2021, 107, 290-202.
Also see: fig. 1 (Atimetus/Epaphra); fig. 2 (Pompeii still lifes); fig. 3
(Berlingen); fig. 12 (S. Egidio); fig. 13 (Manius Servius Primigenius);
fig. 15 (Codex Amiatinus)

Selected ancient literary evidence:

While ancient authors mention the process of waxing tablets, see e.g.
Fig. 52: Roman copper-alloy spatula handles with missing iron blades Herodas (Mimes 3.14–18) and Herodotus (7.239), there is no literary evidence
at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Aquileia (Italy). © Michel Feugère.
for the spatula itself.