Hope for further Vindolanda tablet discoveries

Past Horizons ^ | Wednesday, April 30, 2014 | Vindolanda Trust

[SunkenCiv]

The site of Roman Vindolanda, in the central section of Hadrian’s Wall, had over 300 years of Roman occupation, with at least nine forts and settlements built one on top of the other... was one of the main military posts on the northern frontier of Britain before the building of Hadrian’s Wall. Excavations there in 1973 uncovered writing tablets which had been preserved in waterlogged conditions in rubbish deposits in and around the commanding officer’s residence. These, and hundreds of other fragments which have come to light in subsequent excavations, are the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain, containing everything from military directives to party invites revealing the day-to-day life of Romans on and around Hadrian’s Wall...

These new deep excavations below the 3rd century stone remains of the Roman town are examining crucial parts of the transition of Vindolanda from an early outpost into a Hadrian’s Wall construction fort as the excavators drop down into the very heart of the settlement in this period, looking for the headquarters building, the nerve centre of the Roman army.

These levels of Vindolanda produced the finest record of Roman life from Roman Britain in the form of the ink writing tablets, letters, lists and accounts from 1900 years ago. Dr Andrew Birley, Director of Excavations noted: ‘If the excavation here is successful and we find what we are looking for it could be one of the defining moments of Roman archaeology for the 21st century’. Dr Birley concludes: ‘Roman army headquarters buildings were the main record offices for the communities, repositories for both pay and administration. At the moment there are no writing tablets which refer directly to the building of the Wall, is this about to change?’ Excavations started on 7th April and run until 19th September.

[SunkenCiv]

Writing-tablet with a letter from Niger and Brocchus to Flavius Cerialis and Vindolanda Fort. Images: Vindolanda TrustWriting-tablet with a letter from Niger and Brocchus to Flavius Cerialis and Vindolanda Fort. Images: Vindolanda Trust

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Writing-tablet with a letter from the entrepreneur Octavius to Candidus. Images: Vindolanda Trust Writing-tablet with a letter from the entrepreneur Octavius to Candidus. Images: Vindolanda Trust This is the most impressive and extensive letter found at Vindolanda so far. It is a business letter from Octavius, an entrepreneur supplying goods on a considerable scale to the Roman army. Judging by the form of the script, a number of mis-spellings, and offsets (caused when the leaves were folded before the ink had dried), it was written in haste. He uses a colloquial style, with a variety of financial and technical terms. (read the translation here: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/w/tablet_with_letter.aspx )

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Ready to dig. Image: Vindolanda Trust

[SunkenCiv]

[JoeProBono]

[Texan5]

That is so cool-the Roman and early post-Roman period of Britain is fascinating.

[SunkenCiv]

Vindolanda:

• Hope for further Vindolanda tablet discoveries
• A tablet bearing a birthday party invite includes the earliest Latin script penned by a woman
• Archaeologists discover a hoard of silver Roman denarii coins at Vindolanda
• Roman camp that housed refugees fleeing Scottish unrest discovered near Hadrian's Wall
• Vindolanda Tablets come home
• Hadrian's Wall child murder: estimated time of death pre-367AD
• Roman era reveals expenses claims
• Mysterious ancient altar found in Roman fort (In England)
• Hadrian's wall boosted economy for ancient Britons, archaeologists discover
• Romans Were Upper Crust On Daily Bread
• The Romans Carried Out Cataract Operations
• An Outing For Hadrian At The British Museum
• Hunting For Hadrian
• Spectacular Brooch Find May 'Unlock Secrets Of Hadrian's Wall'
• 100-Mile-Long Wall in Africa [Sungbo's Eredo]
• Literacy in the Time of Jesus - Could His Words Have Been Recorded in His Lifetime?
• Fragments of Ancient Empire
• Roman Souvenir Of (Hadrian's) Wall Found

[SunkenCiv]

It’s remarkable how long stuff will last in the rubbish pile. :’)

[BenLurkin]

Interesting!

[vladimir998]

Castle Black.

[SuperSonic]

You may be interested in:
http://thebritishhistorypodcast.com/

[Texan5]

Thank you-that is very interesting indeed.