Vindolanda

Vindolanda
Chesterholm Museum Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland NE47 7JN
Military bathhouse at Vindolanda
Vindolanda
Coordinates	54°59′28″N 2°21′39″W / 54.9911°N 2.3608°W / 54.9911; -2.3608Coordinates: 54°59′28″N 2°21′39″W / 54.9911°N 2.3608°W / 54.9911; -2.3608
Grid reference	grid reference NY7766
Type	Roman fort
Site information
Controlled by	Vindolanda Trust
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Derelict
Website	http://www.vindolanda.com/

Vindolanda was a Roman fort and is an active archeological site located in Northumbria in the United Kingdom. Predating the construction of Hadrian’s wall, Vindolanda provides a look at Roman life on the frontier. Based on current excavations, archeologists date the fort as being occupied from 85 BCE to 370 CE. The occupation of the site can be broken down into thirteen periods and was likely abandoned by the Romans fully towards the end of the fourth century. However, evidence shows that this site continued to be occupied past the Roman period. This site is significant due to the artifacts that have been preserved in the Anoxic conditions of the area, such as the Vindolanda tablets, which are the oldest preserved writing in Britain. The artifacts discovered inform modern scholars of everyday life in a Roman fort and on the frontiers of Roman territory.

Early accounts[]

The first post-Roman record of the ruins at Vindolanda was made by the antiquarian William Camden, in his Britannia (1586). Occasional travellers reached the site over the next two hundred years, and the accounts they left predate much of the stone-stealing that has damaged the site. The military Thermae (bath-house) was still partly roofed when Christopher Hunter visited the site in 1702. In about 1715 an excise officer named John Warburton found an altar there, which he removed. In 1814, the first real archaeological work was begun by the Rev. Anthony Hedley.

Hedley died in 1835, before writing up his discoveries. Little more was done for a long time, although in 1914 a workman found another altar at the site, set up by the civilians living at the fort in honour of the Divine House and Vulcan. Several names for the site are used in the early records, including "Chesters on Caudley", "Little Chesters", "The Bower" and "Chesterholm"; the altar found in 1914 confirmed that the Roman name for the site was "Vindolanda", which had been in dispute as one early source referred to it as "Vindolana".^[1]

Occupation[]

Vindolanda was occupied from roughly 85 BCE to 370 CE. The occupation has been categorized into thirteen periods. These periods are Period 0 lasting from c. 79 to 85 CE, Period I lasting from c. 85 CE to c. 92 CE, the second period is Period II lasting from c. 92 to 97 CE, Period III lasting from c. 97 to 105 CE, Period IV lasting from c. 105  to c. 122 CE, Period V lasting from c. 105 to 122 CE, Period VI lasting from c. 160 to 180 CE, Period VIA lasting from c. 180 to 200 CE, Period VIB lasting from c. 205 to 213 CE, Period VII lasting from c. 213 to late 270s CE, Period VIII lasting from c. 300 to 360s CE, the IX period lasting from c. 370 to 400 CE, and Period X which is everything from 400 CE onwards. The periods are categorized by the different forts that stood at the site during its occupation. Due to the continued excavations, these periods may change over time. From the early 2000s to 2017, several new periods were added. Before then, only Period I through VIII had been classified. Periods VIA and VIB are classified as different periods due to the fact that a different fort was occupied during Period VIA.

Garrison[]

Vindolanda was occupied by several different Roman forces throughout its occupation. It appears that only auxilia units were stationed in the fort and that there was never a Roman legion stationed there. Throughout the different periods, several different units were stationed in the fort. The first known occupation was the Coh I Tungorum which occupied the fort until Period II when they were replaced by Coh VIIII Batavorum^[2]. In period IV the Coh I Tungorum and garrisoned the fort until Period VI when the fort might have been occupied by the Coh II Nerviorum^[3]. However, for the sub-periods of VIA and VIB, the garrison is unknown. In Periods VII and VIII Vindolanda was occupied by the Coh IIII Gallorum until roughly 370^[4]. After 370 the occupation of the fort is unknown but most likely not by Romans as the Romans started to leave Britain in 388 and Vindolanda was on the frontier.

Fort and village[]

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Vindolanda being occupied for more than 400 years has caused the locations and number of buildings that were on the site at any one time to fluctuate. However, there are some notable buildings that have been unearthed during the excavations within the fort and in the vicus. Some of the notable building is a Romano-Celtic temple,  around 300 round huts built in the native style, metal workshops, buildings used for storage. The fort itself also went through several iterations and varying in the area of the land it covered. At its height, Vindolanda occupied seven acres and at its smallest extent covered three and a half acres. The earliest forts were wooden with ditches, later as the fort expanded, the buildings would be made out of stone instead.

Forts[]

The earliest of the Roman forts at the site are from approximately 80 CE, these forts were constructed out of wood and turf. Evidence shows that these forts were torn down and rebuilt several times. As such, due to the Roman tradition of laying down clay or turf after tearing down and before reconstruction on a site, many artifacts were able to be preserved in the subsequent anaerobic conditions this created. The first of these forts was most likely built by the Coh. I Tungrorum^[5] and was built on the eastern edge of the Vindolanda plateau. Much of this original fort is obscured by the remains of the stone forts that were built on the same site. Archeological evidence also shows that in Periods II and III the forts were built out of wattle and daub^[6]. Due to the fact that the Period IV fort was built directly on top of the previous periods it has not been confirmed that there is a difference between the Period II and III buildings. The fort during Period IV was also constructed out of timber. However, more oak was used and due to the length of occupation this fort was well preserved. The southern area of the fort was full of kitchens and store houses and due to the fire damage on the timbers archeologists have suggested that this might be the reason the Period IV fort was abandoned^[7]. Period V’s fort was also constructed out of timber. We also see a cobblers workshop appear in this period. The first stone fort is observed during Period VI, although this fort was forgone in favor of a wooden fort outside the wall of the first stone fort during Period VIA. Not much is known about the wooden fort of Period VIA due to the Severan Structures that later occupied the western edge of the location. Period VIB saw the return to a stone fort during the Severan period^[8]. Several of the buildings within the fort during this period have been identified including two barracks, most likely the commanders residence and a workshop or store.

Vicus[]

The vicus is a extramural settlement often found by Roman forts. The vicus at Vindolanda had many different buildings including temples, bath houses and many different workshops as well as residential buildings for the many civilians that lived near the fort^[9]. The vicus at Vindolanda first appears to have been built at the time of the second stone fort and was abandoned sometime in the third century^[10]. The vicus was built along the sides of a major roadway, the Stanegate road, which ran through Vindolanda. One of the many buildings in the vicus was a workshop, this building was constructed with a sandstone foundation and clay floors^[11]. The walls may have been made of wattle and daub which was commonly used during this time in other areas of Rome. While the precise function of that workshop is unknown, several workshops specialising in metalworking have also been found in the vicus. These workshops also had a sandstone foundation, although they also contained an ovalshaped hearth with a pit in front of them. There was also a Romano-Celtic temple found in the vicus, the main god of the temple has not been identified although a small statue of Fortuna was found nearby the temples location.

Artifacts[]

Many artifacts have been found in the various excavations of the Vindolanda site. These excavations range from leather scraps to shoes, coins, and letters. Due to the anaerobic environment many artifacts that would have normally been naturally destroyed over the years are still extant. The most well known artifacts are the Vindolanda Tablets, which are a collection of written documents that have been found there. However, all the artifacts found at the site are important due to the insight they give modern researchers about what life was like on one of the farthest Roman frontiers.

Vindolanda Tablets[]

The Vindolanda Tablets are one of the best sources for Roman life on the frontier as they describe the often mundane communication between people. However, they are still very significant as they provide insights into many different areas. One of these areas is the linguistics of Latin being written on the frontier. One such example is there is evidence of a Germanic-Latin mixture being used in the camp. Additionally, Vindolanda provided one of the first written documents by a Roman woman, giving insight into the lives of more than just the men in the camp^[12]. The tablets also give insight into how less-educated Romans wrote as there are tablets that do not match the educated Latin that scholars have come to expect. However, there still are letters originating from the site that use the higher educated and bureaucratic forms of Latin^[13]. So in conclusion, the Vindolanda tablets give a perspective into many of the often overlooked areas of Roman societies through the writings of common people and regular soldiers.

Jewelry[]

Jewelry is another common thing that is found in the excavation of Vindolanda. From rings to necklaces and earrings many different types of jewelry were found. Earrings may be being the most interesting as they have regional connections to the African and Eastern provinces of Rome^[14]. This may suggest that people from many different provinces occupied the space as none of the garrisons are from provinces that were observed to often wear earrings. However, because Vindolanda was on the fringe of the Empire, it was unlikely that many foreign-born people occupied the area unless they came with a garrison.

Leather Goods[]

Shoes and other leather goods are a very common item found in the excavations in Vindolanda. Several cobblers' workshops have been identified throughout the occupation and as such everything from scraps to finished products have been found. Among these leather goods are shoes, saddles and scabbards. All of these items are necessary for the upkeep of the army, but the fact that they were produced in the fort itself shows how isolated the fort was.

Tools[]

In addition to all the previous artifacts, many tools were found on the site. Tools are very telling of what life was like in an area as they provide insight into how people make a living and what is necessary to sustain life in that area. In Vindolanda, many essential tools were found including an array of knives, cleavers, and various farming implements including a scythe and spade^[15]. However, there are also tools that suggest that there were also craftsmen in the fort such

History of Excavation[]

The first excavations at Vindolanda were done by British archaeologist Eric Birley. Robin and Anthony Birley, his sons, have continued the excavations. The excavations continue into the modern day overseen by the Vindolanda Trust which was founded in the spring of 1970 by Brigidair Brian Archibald, Daphne Archibald, and Elizabeth Archibald, with Professor Eric Birley, Anthony Birley and Robin Birley, the final member of the trust was Charles Bosanquet, Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University^[16]. The Vindolanda Trust has continued to oversee the excavations with the museum first being opened in 1975 in the house of Eric Birley. The site is still being worked on by volunteers every summer.

Excavation[]

In the 1930s, the house at Chesterholm where the museum is now located was purchased by archaeologist Eric Birley, who was interested in excavating the site. The excavations have been continued by his sons, Robin and Anthony, and his grandson, Andrew Birley, into the present day. They are undertaken each summer, and some of the archaeological deposits reach depths of six metres. The anoxic conditions at these depths have preserved thousands of artefacts, such as wooden writing tablets and over 160 boxwood combs,^[17] that normally disintegrate in the ground,^{[note 1]} thus providing an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of Roman life – military and otherwise – on the northern frontier. A study of spindle whorls from the north-western quadrant has indicated the presence of spinners of low- and high- status in the fort in the 3rd and 4th century AD.^[18] Along with ongoing excavations (in season) and excavated remains, a full-size replica of a section of Hadrian's Wall in both stone and turf can be seen on the site. As of yet there is no reconstruction of the Vallum.

Nearly 2000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017 by the Vindolanda Trust experts led by Dr Andrew Birley. According to the Guardian, being similar in style and function to the full-hand modern boxing gloves, these two gloves found at Vindolanda look like leather bands and date back to 120 AD. It is suggested that, based on their difference from gladiator gloves, warriors using this type of gloves had no purpose to kill each other. These gloves were probably used in a sport for promoting fighting skills. The gloves are currently displayed at Vindolanda's museum. According to Birley, they are not part of a matching pair:^{[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]}

The larger of the two gloves is cut from a single piece of leather and was folded into a pouch configuration, the extending leather at each side were slotted into one another forming a complete oval shape creating an inner hole into which a hand could still easily be inserted. The glove was packed with natural material acting as a shock absorber.

Recent excavations have been accompanied by new archaeological methodologies. 3-D imaging has been used to investigate the use of an ox cranium in target practice.^[28]

In 2021, a carved sandstone artifact was discovered a few inches below the floor of the fort. It depicts a nude warrior or deity before a horse or similar animal. Early interpretations point to the figure being of a Roman deity, perhaps of Mars or Mercury.^[29]

Media attention[]

In addition to the older initial findings of ink tablets, shoes and combs, several more artifacts and discoveries of note have been covered by the media. In 2017, the British newspaper The Guardian focused on a discovery of cavalry barracks that were uncovered during the excavation season that held a large number of artifacts including swords, ink tablets, textiles, arrowheads, and other military paraphernalia. Relative dating of the barracks had determined that they were built around 105 AD.^[30] The Guardian also publicized the discovery of a cache of 25 ink tablets found earlier in the 2017 season. The tablets were discovered in a trench in one of the earliest layers of the fort, dating to the 1st century AD. This discovery was considered to be the second-largest discovery of ink tablets in the world, with the first being a cache that was also discovered at Vindolanda in 1992.^[31]

In the 2014 excavation season, BBC ran a story about the discovery of one of the few surviving examples of a wooden toilet seat to be found in the Roman Empire.^[32] In the same year, they also recorded the discovery of the only (very old, very worn) gold coin ever to be found on the site with a mint date of 64 or 65 AD, lying in a site layer dating to the 4th century AD.^[33]

In 2010, the BBC announced the discovery of the remains of a child between the ages of 8 and 10 years, which was uncovered in a shallow pit in a barrack room in a position suggesting that its arms may have been bound. Further archaeological analysis indicated that it could be female. She is believed to have died about 1,800 years ago.^[34]

Another find publicised on the BBC website in 2006 was a bronze and silver fibula modelled with the figure of Mars, with the name Quintus Sollonius punched into its surface.^[35]

In 2020, archaeologists discovered a 5th-century chalice covered in religious iconography within a collapsed church structure. The images include crosses, angels, a smiling priestly figure holding a crook, fish, a whale, ships, the Greek letters chi-rho. In addition, the chalice bears scripts written in Latin, Greek, and possibly Ogham.^[36][37]

Site museum[]

The Vindolanda site museum, also known as Chesterholm Museum, conserves and displays finds from the site. The museum is set in gardens, which include full-sized reconstructions of a Roman temple, a Roman shop, a Roman house and Northumbrian croft, all with audio presentations. Exhibits include Roman boots, shoes, armour, jewellery and coins, infrared photographs of the writing tablets and, from 2011, a small selection of the tablets themselves, on loan from the British Museum. 2011 saw the reopening of the museum at Vindolanda, and also the Roman Army Museum at Magnae Carvetiorum (Carvoran), refurbished with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.^[38]

Vindolanda Trust[]

In 1970, the Vindolanda Trust, a registered charity,^[39] was founded to administer the site and its museum, and in 1997, the Trust took over the running of the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran to the west, another Hadrian's Wall fort, which it had acquired in 1972.

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See also[]

• Vindolanda tablets
• History of Northumberland
• Minimus, Latin textbooks for primary-school children, using stories based in Vindolanda

Notes[]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Adams, J. N. 1995. “The Language of the Vindolanda Writing Tablets: An Interim Report.” The Journal of Roman Studies 85: 86–134. https://doi.org/10.2307/301059.
• ———. 2003. “The New Vindolanda Writing-Tablets.” The Classical Quarterly 53 (2): 530–75.
• Alberge, Dalya. 2020. “Hadrian’s Wall Dig Reveals Oldest Christian Graffiti on Chalice.” The Observer, August 29, 2020, sec. UK news. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/aug/29/hadrians-wall-dig-reveals-oldest-christian-graffiti-on-chalice.
• BBC News. 2014. “Hadrian’s Wall Dig Unearths 2,000-Year-Old Toilet Seat,” August 27, 2014, sec. Tyne & Wear. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-28956328.
• Birley, Barbara, and Elizabeth Greene, eds. 2006. The Roman Jewellery from Vindolanda. 5: Beads, Intaglios, Finger Rings, Ear-Rings & Bracelets / by Barbara Birley and Elizabeth Greene. Vindolanda Research Reports New Series, 4,5. Greenhead: Roman Army Museum Publ.
• Birley, Eric, Robin Birley, and Anthony Birley, eds. 1993. The Early Wooden Forts - Reports on the Auxiliaries, the Writing Tablets, Inscriptions, Brands and Graffiti. Vindolanda Research Reports New Series 2. Bardon Mill: Roman Army Museum Publ.
• Birley, R.. Vindolanda: a Roman frontier post on Hadrian's Wall. Thames and Hudson, London, 1977.
• Birley, R. Vindolanda Guide: the home of Britain's finest treasures. Roman Army Museum Publications, Greenhead, 2012.
• Blake, Justin. n.d. “Vindolanda Research. The Excavations of 2007-2012 in the Vicus or Extramural Settlement (‘Area B’),” 280.
• Bowman, A. K., and J. David Thomas. 1975. “The Vindolanda Writing Tablets and Their Significance: An Interim Report.” Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte 24 (3): 463–78.
• Bowman, Alan K., and J. David Thomas. 1991. “A Military Strength Report from Vindolanda.” The Journal of Roman Studies 81: 62–73. https://doi.org/10.2307/300489.
• Day, Joel. 2021. “Archaeology Breakthrough: Ancient Holy Relic ‘key to Unlocking’ Early Christian Britain.” Express.Co.Uk. March 9, 2021. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1407685/archaeology-news-ancient-holy-relic-discovery-Roman-Empire-vindolanda-uk-history-spt.
• Driel-Murray, Carol van, ed. 1993. The Early Wooden Forts - Preliminary Reports on the Leather, Textiles, Environmental Evidence and Dendrochronology. Vindolanda Research Reports New Series 3. Bardon Mill: Roman Army Museum Publ.
• “Excavation Reports.” n.d. The Vindolanda Trust. Accessed December 12, 2021. https://www.vindolanda.com/excavation-reports.
• “History of the Trust.” n.d. The Vindolanda Trust. Accessed December 6, 2021. https://www.vindolanda.com/history-of-the-trust.Maxfield, Valerie A. 1988.
• Review of Review of The Roman Fort of Vindolanda at Chesterholm, Northumberland, by P. T. Bidwell. Britannia 19: 510–12. https://doi.org/10.2307/526216.
• “Possible Image of Roman God Unearthed at Vindolanda - Archaeology Magazine.” n.d. Accessed December 6, 2021. https://www.archaeology.org/news/9825-210706-england-vindolanda-carving.
• “The Big Dig: Eight of the UK’s Most Amazing Archaeological Sites You Can Visit.” 2021. The Independent. October 28, 2021. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/uk-archaeological-sites-travel-dig-b1937751.html.
• “Vindolanda Research Report 2003 Volume 1.” n.d. Accessed December 6, 2021. https://www.vindolanda.com/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=c66bfea5-cc2b-4618-904d-6a9dc9b87218.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vindolanda.

• Vindolanda Trust
• BBC page on Vindolanda
• Directions and further details about Vindolanda and the remaining sections of Hadrian's Wall
• Hadrian's Wall Discussion Forum
• 3-D survey of Vindolana