A batillum or vatillum was an ancient Roman iron shovel with a short handle used for various purposes, especially as a fire-shovel, chafing-dish, and for burning incense.Thurston 1898, p. 1514.
Etymology The name is possibly related to battualia "the exercise of soldiers and gladiators in fighting and fencing" which is related to the English verb to beat or to vase a vessel (in some Latinate languages 'b' and 'v' can be interchangeable).The Online Latin Lexicon
See also Entrenching tool Roman military personal equipment
References
Bibliography