Lawrence Thompson Expand Lawrence Thompson is a retired schoolteacher who has been actively involved with Vindolanda for more than forty years. He has been a town, district and county councillor over a period of thirty years and a member of Northumbria Police Authority for a period of seven Years. He was also a member of Northumberland National Park Authority for seven years. Lawrence was a magistrate for more than thirty years and served on The Lord Lieutenant's Advisory Committee and the organisation involved in the training of newly appointed magistrates. He is presently involved as a trustee in a local development trust and as Chairman of Trustees of a youth development initiative. Lawrence has a lifelong and continuing interest in cricket and is a vice-president of Haltwhistle Cricket Club.
Terry Carroll Expand Terry has professional qualifications in town and country planning and rural resources management. He worked for the Northumberland National Park Authority for some 25 years where he became the deputy chief officer. He subsequently operated as a freelance consultant in the field of rural development and as a research fellow at the Centre for Rural Economy at Newcastle University. He has extensive practical experience of rural planning and land use, environmental conservation, rural micro-businesses and renewable energy and also of the government institutions, policies and programmes that impact upon these sectors. He has carried out numerous consultancy assignments in these fields at local, national and international level. Terry is a director and board member of the Vindolanda Trust and member of the Northumberland Uplands Local Action Group for the EU funded Leader programme.
Professor Ian Haynes Expand Ian Haynes is Professor of Archaeology at Newcastle University. He has a particular interest in the frontier communities of the Roman Empire and has written extensively on the types of auxiliary units which occupied Vindolanda. As part of his research, Ian has been privileged to direct archaeological fieldwork at Maryport and Beckfoot in Cumbria, and Corbridge in Northumberland. Ian is also heavily involved in the work of the Clayton Trust, best known for its museum at Chesters Roman Fort. In addition to his work in Britain, Ian has worked extensively in Rome, where he co-directs the Lateran Project, and in Romania, where his research has focussed on the largest Roman conurbation north of the Danube, Apulum.
Barbara Birley Curator Expand The Roman objects from Vindolanda are Barbara’s main focus and she takes great pride in conserving, cataloguing, interpreting and displaying them for the general public who visit both Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. She also oversees the Trust’s education and learning programme, Heritage Guiding Programme and Museum Volunteers. In 1999, Barbara moved to Northumberland from her native Colorado and officially joined the Trust’s team. Prior to that she had spent two seasons as a Vindolanda excavation volunteer. Barbara also enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering for the Scouts, reading, visiting other sites and museums and enjoying the local countryside.
Sonya Galloway Communications Manager Expand Sonya is a third generation member of the Birley family working at Vindolanda. Sonya returned to Northumberland in 2010 after a 15 year posting north of the Wall. As Communications Manager for the Trust Sonya promotes the work of the Trust to the wider world, arranges access for filming, creates our press releases and looks after our Social Media channels. It is unlikely that you will ever see Sonya without her iphone, camera or both in her hand!
Dr Andrew Birley, FSA, FSA Scot CEO / Director of Excavations / Chair of Research Committee Expand Andrew is the third generation of Birley’s to work as the Director of excavations for the Vindolanda Trust after his father Dr Robin Birley and grandfather Professor Eric Birley. He is the nephew of Professor Anthony Birley. Andrew started excavating at the site as a teenager and then got his undergraduate degree and PhD from the University of Leicester. He has worked at the site in a full-time capacity since 1996, becoming director of Excavations in 2005 and CEO in 2015, taking over from Patricia Birley in that role. A former Chair of the Archaeology Committee for the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies he is widely published on Vindolanda and the Roman frontier in Britain.
Colin Galloway Deputy CEO Expand Colin takes great prides in leading the customer service teams at both museums and working with the leadership team to provide the best possible experience for visitors to Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. He works closely with Andrew to continue evolving the Trust and managing the budget. Colin joined the Trust in 2010, after fifteen years working in the airline Industry, the opportunity to relocate to Northumberland allows him to combine his passions for Customer Service, Heritage and the outdoors. When he’s not working, you can find him enjoying time with his family either on the golf course, at the side of football pitch or walking their dog in the Northumberland countryside.
Fiona Standfield Expand Educated at the Universities of Leeds, Caen and Oxford, Fiona began her career as a fast-track Civil Servant in Whitehall, subsequently teaching Modern Foreign Languages and working in the House of Commons, before joining Royal Mail plc. Fiona enjoyed a thirteen-year career with Royal Mail, undertaking operational, training and management roles both at home and abroad, including Home Shopping Sales Director, and culminating as Business Implementation and Delivery Director on a UK-wide IT Programme. Since returning to the North East, Fiona has developed a portfolio career working across all three sectors. This has included her own consultancy practice – providing language services, project management and business development support to SMEs and social enterprises – and interim change leadership roles as Director, Newcastle Science City and North East Programme Director for Safe Families for Children. She is currently Chief Operating Officer at the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle where her responsibilities include, among others, property, safeguarding, education, HR, health & safety, communications, data protection and finance. A former chair of an NHS Mental Health and Learning Disability Trust, Fiona is also employed by the Ministry of Justice as both a Specialist Lay Member of First Tier (Mental Health) Tribunals and Appraiser. As well as a Trustee of Vindolanda, Fiona enjoys voluntary positions supporting Durham University Business School and as a Trustee of the University’s Bede Chair of Theology. In addition, Fiona is a Trustee of the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, is a judge for the North East Accountancy Awards and is a member of the Charity Advisory Panel for Age UK Northumberland. Additionally, Fiona is a Non-Executive Director for South Tyneside Integrated Care Limited
Helen Woodford Expand Helen is a Partner at the law firm Bexley Beaumont. Since she qualified as a solicitor in 2001, Helen has specialised is advising employers and trustee boards on the application of pensions law. However, from a very young age, Helen has been greatly interested in history and chose this subject for her undergraduate degree at the University of Liverpool. Being from the North-East and living in Northumberland now, Helen has visited Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum many times over the years and was delighted to become a Trustee early in 2017.
Veryan Johnston, MBE.- Vice Chair Expand Veryan was appointed as a Trustee Director of Vindolanda Trust in April 2016 and is currently a member of the Staffing Committee for the Trust. Veryan is an experienced HR Director. Her early career was spent in the water industry and more recently in Higher Education. She was Executive Director of HR at Newcastle University for 17 years until December 2015. Veryan is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Veryan continues to work with institutions in HE as a coach, mentor and consultant. She is also a Trustee for Hadrian Learning Trust and Newcastle University Development Trust.
Pete Wilson Expand Pete Wilson was formerly Head of Research Policy (Roman Archaeology) for English Heritage and through that role has had a long association with Vindolanda. He is a specialist in the Roman-period archaeology of Northern England and has published widely. He is now an Independent Consultant working with a variety of statutory/official, commercial, charitable and voluntary organisation. In addition to being a Trustee of the Vindolanda Charitable Trust Pete is Chair of Trustees of the Senhouse Roman Museum, Maryport and Honorary Secretary of the Royal Archaeological Institute.
Gary Calland - Chair Expand Gary has been a volunteer archaeologist at Vindolanda for nearly 25years. Originally trained as an electrician, he later studied Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Leicester and has been a professional archaeologist and a teacher of history and archaeology. Gary is also a published author. Gary has been working for the National Trust since 2001 and is currently a General Manager in Devon where he looks after a varied portfolio of historic houses and gardens, countryside and coastline. He brings a wealth of experience in managing people, operational performance, looking after historic places and making everyone welcome.
Patricia Birley MBE. FSA. DL Head of Impact Committee Expand Having initially taught in state schools, I joined the Vindolanda Charitable Trust in the 1970’s as a museum curator and artefact conservator, including the Vindolanda Writing Tablets. I subsequently, after acquiring business and finance management skills, became the Trust’s Deputy Director in 1980. In this capacity I assisted with, and then project managed numerous Vindolanda projects with Robin Birley, the Trust’s Director. This included the foundation and development of the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran on Hadrian’s Wall. In 2001 succeeded Robin Birley as the Trust’s Director and took responsibility for the administration, compliance and strategic development of the Trust. I successfully applied for external funding and managed several major Vindolanda projects, including a £6.3 million HLF/ RDA funded building and refurbishment development covering the Trust’s two archaeological sites and museums, until my retirement as Director in 2015. I have previously served my local community over many years as a town councillor, a representative on various sub committees, a Chair of School Governors, a Chair of an LEA Education Appeals Panel and as the Chair of the Northumberland Lord Lieutenant’s Advisory Committee. I remain a Deputy Lieutenant and currently serve the Vindolanda Trust as the Chair of its Impact and Development Advisory Committee.
Penny Trichler Events Co-ordinator and Site Archaeologist Expand Penny has studied archaeology to Masters level at university and throughout her time there made regular visits to Vindolanda as an excavation volunteer. When the opportunity came up in 2017 to become a member of the Vindolanda Trust team for a placement year, she made the move from Oxfordshire to Northumberland. Whilst in her first role at the Trust, she applied for the job of Activities Officer as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Wooden Underworld Project and extension to the museum. Penny now enjoys splitting her time between working within the Events Team, coordinating activities and events that happen at both Roman Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum and being on site during the excavations and supervising the volunteers. Outside of work Penny is currently challenging herself to learn British Sign Language.
Marta Alberti-Dunn Deputy Director of Excavations Expand Marta joined the Trust in 2015 to assist in the supervision of the excavations as well as the delivery of the rich research program that the Trust pursues. Her day to day tasks range from teaching field excavation, recording and surveying techniques to volunteers to processing the data collected through excavation and working on publications. Her specialist subjects are textile implements on the frontier and their relationship to female identity, as well as volunteer participation to archaeology on Hadrian’s Wall. On the latter subject she is pursuing a part-time PhD at Newcastle University. When she is not digging, studying or writing she can be found reading a fiction book or cooking a delicious Italian meal.
Why is Vindolanda to the south of Hadrian’s Wall? Expand The first Vindolanda fort was built almost 40 years before the Wall was constructed and was part of an earlier frontier system called the Stanegate Frontier. Stanegate forts, forming part of this defensive system, were Magna (Carvoran) and Coria (Corbridge). With the building of Hadrian’s Wall these Stanegate forts were amalgamated into the new defensive system.
Why are the artefacts at Vindolanda found in such good condition? Expand A combination of factors aid the preservation and superb condition of the finds. The main aid is that the ground has anaerobic conditions, which means that there is no oxygen in the pre-Hadrianic excavation layers. Roman builders spread clay and turf over demolished buildings before starting new building programmes on a previously used site. This effectively ‘capped’ the underlying layer preserving everything left beneath it. Artefacts like leather, wood, textiles and writing tablets and metal objects survive in near perfect condition. After conservation they are stabilized and ready for research and display. At the higher Vindolanda levels the conditions are not anaerobic. The organic finds do not survive at this level and metals are highly corroded due to the presence of oxygen and bacteria.
Who was stationed at Vindolanda? Expand PERIOD DATE GARRISON MODERN COUNTRIES I c. AD 85 - 95 Coh. I Tungrorum Belgium II AD 95 -100 Coh. VIIII Batavorum Netherlands III AD 100 - 105 Coh. VIIII Batavorum Netherlands IV AD 105 - c. 120 Coh. I Tungrorum Belgium V AD 120 - c.130 Coh. I Tungrorum Belgium VI c.AD 140 -160’s Coh II Nerviorum Northern France VIA c. AD 160’s -200 Garrison unknown VIB c. AD 200 - 212 Garrison unknown VII c. AD 213 - 300 Coh IV Gallorum France VIII AD 300 - 367 Coh IV Gallorum France IX Post AD 367 Garrison Unknown X Post AD 410
Who used the bathhouse? Expand All of the inhabitant of the Roman Fort would have been able to use the bath house. We find evidence of women and children. Best example is the small baby shoe in the bath house.
Where were the tablets found? What are they made of? Where can they be seen? Expand The tablets are found on floor surfaces and pits in the Vindolanda pre-Hadrianic excavation levels. It is possible that any Vindolanda building of this date may have a discarded tablet lying in it. The remains of a major bonfire was discovered in the road outside the commander’s house in period III, AD97 to 105. The bonfire contained the charred remains of around 300 writing tablets. They were mainly the correspondence of the Commanding Officer, Flavius Cerialis. It is possible they were being burned before the garrison left to fight in the Dacian wars. The tablets are made of specially prepared birch and alder wood and the ink writing covers one surface with the address on the opposite side. They are about the size of a modern postcard and about 1mm thick. The tablets are conserved and photographed, with infrared photography, at Vindolanda. After initial research they are then sent to The British Museum in London for specialist storage. Vindolanda’s Museum has a comprehensive display about including 9 fascinating tablets on loan from the British Museum.
Where was coinage minted? Expand From all parts of the empire depending on the time period. Lots from Tier, Rome and even a few from London.
Where is the Wall? Where is a good viewpoint of Hadrian’s Wall? Can you drive up to Hadrian’s Wall? Expand The closest section of Hadrian’s Wall is about one mile north of the site as the crow flies. I would suggest visiting Steel Rigg, Cawfields or if you've purchased a ticket to the Roman Army Museum, you are right next to Walltown Crags which is one of the highest standing sections of Hadrian’s Wall. At Banks, to the west of Birdoswald the Wall is very close to the road.
Where did the name Britannia come from? Expand The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia (Scotland). Before the Roman invasion, begun in AD 43, Iron Age Britain already had established cultural and economic links with Continental Europe, but the Roman invaders introduced new developments in agriculture, urbanization, industry and architecture. Besides the native British record of the initial Roman invasion, Roman historians generally mention Britannia only in passing. Thus, most knowledge of Roman Britain has derived from archaeological investigations, and the epigraphic evidence lauding the Britannic achievements of an Emperor of Rome, such as Hadrian (r. AD 117–38) and Antoninus Pius (r. AD 138–61), whose walls demarcated the northern borders of Roman Britain.