Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
The Vindolanda Trust
  • Search
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Buy tickets Donate
  • Twitter
Menu
  • Visit us
    • Book Your Visit
    • Our Sites
      • Roman Vindolanda Fort & Museum
      • Roman Army Museum
      • Day Planner
    • Getting Here
    • School Visits
    • Group visits
    • Places to stay and services
      • Stay with us
      • Local Accommodation
      • Local Interest
  • Events
    • Events
    • Lectures
  • Learn
    • Blogs & more
    • Schools
    • Families
    • Digging up memories
  • Support us
    • Appeals
    • Donate
    • Friends and members
    • Excavate
      • Vindolanda Excavations
      • Consolidation & Conservation
    • Volunteering
    • American Donors
  • Shop
  • About us
    • Who we are
      • History of the Trust
      • Trustees and Patron
      • Meet the team
    • Our Vision
    • Our Collection
      • What is Designation?
      • National Significance
      • Outstanding Quality
      • Research
      • Blogs
    • Our Eco Journey
      • Green Policy
      • Green Journey
      • Recycling: A Roman Case Study
    • News
    • World Heritage
    • Work for us
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Outstanding Quality

Outstanding Quality

All objects in the Vindolanda collection are the result of research excavations.  Once an object is found, it is taken to the on-site laboratory and, after conservation is complete, it is catalogued and prioritised for display at Vindolanda, the Roman Army Museum or on-site storage. 

The extensive collection holds objects of many different materials including metal work, wood, leather and textile as well as bulk collection of pottery, glass and animal bone. While all these groups of objects have made their important contributions to the overall history of the site and its inhabitants, some stand out more than others. The organic preservation at Vindolanda, made possible by the anaerobic (oxygen free) archaeological levels, has produced an unparalleled collection of everyday Roman objects.

Anaerobic finds

The Vindolanda writing tablets are probably the most famous objects to come from the site and they throw an invaluable light on the lives of the people of Vindolanda. These documents make up the oldest known archive of written material from Britain. The museum displays thirteen tablets on loan from the British Museum and actively engages an international team of experts, who continue to research and interpret these ancient texts.

Anaerobic ground conditions have also enabled the survival of the leather collection, which is the largest single site collection of such objects from the Roman period. Objects include tents, a saddle, horse gear, drawstring bags, decorations and offcuts. However, the c. 5,000 items of footwear are the most evocative leather objects. Every possible type of footwear has been found, from soldiers’ marching boots, off-duty sandals, ordinary shoes, slippers and the wooden clogs worn by men, women and children. The high numbers of female and child footwear demonstrate the importance of the collection to our knowledge of the gender variation of this site. The knowledge that women and children were present in multiple periods of Vindolanda’s occupation and has changed our understanding of the nature of the military community on the northern frontier.

The Vindolanda textile collection is the largest collection of Roman textiles in Western Europe. Woven almost exclusively from the wool of northern sheep, there is evidence of a variety of fragments from heavy jerseys to very thin bandages. A child’s sock and an insole for a shoe are the only complete objects but parts of tunics, cloaks, sleeping mats and striped fabrics have also been discovered.

In addition to the textiles there are other extremely rare, fragile and exceptional objects. Two of these are made from a local plant called hair moss which has the property of repelling insects. The plant has long, russet red, strong, hair-like fibres which makes it ideal for use in different types of woven objects. A remarkable Vindolanda find is a wig or hat which has a complex woven top with long, loose strands of hairs which hang down to shade the face. The second object is an extraordinary helmet crest (on display at the Roman Army Museum), almost certainly the only known example now in existence, which would have decorated the top of a centurion’s helmet.    

Wooden objects have survived extremely well in the anaerobic levels on the site. Apart from construction pieces from buildings, including a complete set of water pipes, the wooden items are dominated by barrels, often stamped with maker’s marks, bucket and mug staves, bungs, tent pegs, fragments of furniture, boxes and bowls, hair combs and even a few toys.

Metalwork, Glass and Stone

The Vindolanda collection has one of Britain’s most comprehensive range of iron tools and weapons. Weapons include daggers, swords and numerous spears, arrows and ballista bolts. The tools’ collection includes everyday objects which would have been essential to the people living here: axes, hammers, wrecking bars and locks and keys. Remarkably, many of the tools could still be used and are similar to their modern counterpart.

The astonishing array of personal objects from the collection demonstrates the preferences and variations in the socio-economic status of the Vindolanda people. From fine hair nets, silver and gold-tipped hair pins to objects carved from animal bones, this part of the collection shows that while some objects had a utilitarian as well as decorative purpose like the brooches and buckles, jewellery and other items were purely for individual status and adornment.

The glass collection has a full range of objects including window glass, bottles and bowls, and jewellery such as beads, bracelets and rings. Outstanding amongst these is the painted glass section including a truly exceptional painted glass bowl with a gladiatorial scene which was imported from Cologne in the Rhineland. The bowl was broken in a 3rd century tavern located just outside the west gate of the fort. One fragment was found in the corner of a ditch during excavations in 1972 and two further pieces were discovered in excavations in 1992 and 2007. Now joined for the first time in nearly 2000 years, they form the most part of a painted bowl. The bowl illustrates the importance of the on-going work on the site, which continually contributes to the increasing significance of the collection.

The written words of the inhabitants of Vindolanda are embedded in the collection not only through the writing tablets but also via the building inscriptions, altars, sculpted stones with religious connotation, inscribed tombstones and the numerous stamps and graffiti that form part of the collection. They remind us that there was a widespread level of literacy during this period of Britain’s history.  The religious dedications are very revealing and include Jupiter (and Jupiter Dolichenus), the Fortune of the Roman People, the Genius of the Praetorium, Vulcan, De Gallia, Ahvardua, Silvanus, Neptune, Apollo, Mars Victor, Hercules, Mercury and a clutch of native gods – the Veteres, Sattada, Cocidius, Mogons and the Mother Goddess. From these inscriptions we can also get the names of the garrisons as well as the person who dedicated the altar.  

This range of once everyday objects (which have now become rare and precious), paired with their full archaeological context, constitutes an essential and priceless cultural resource that makes this an outstanding collection of national importance.

Published: 25th November, 2020

Updated: 30th November, 2020

Author: Barbara Birley

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • Roman Armour Decoration

    Roman Armour Decoration

    12th & 26th August
    Roman Army Museum

    To join the Roman Army you've got to have all the right kit. Join us in colouring a paper helmet and designing your own shield & sword to represent your unit!

  • Family Friendly Guided Tours

    Family Friendly Guided Tours

    4th August - 30th August
    Vindolanda Roman Fort & Museum

    Make the most of your visit to Vindolanda by joining one of our free 30 minute family friendly guided tours of the Roman Vindolanda fort site including an overview of the site and archaeological highlights.

  • Roman Soldier School

    Roman Soldier School

    Friday 19th August
    Roman Army Museum

    Join the Roman Army - gear up with your unit and learn how to march like a Roman soldier, do some formations and scare the enemy!

  • Medicine & Healthcare in Roman Britain Workshop

    Medicine & Healthcare in Roman Britain Workshop

    Roman Vindolanda
    29th September

    Join Nick Summerton at Roman Vindolanda for a deep dive into Roman healthcare and medicine. The format will be a mixture of lectures, discussions and practical sessions as well as examining some of Vindolanda finds that help us to tell the story.

Related

  • Research

    Research

    The site and its collection are under constant research helping us to understand not only Vindolanda better but Hadrian's Wall and the Frontiers of the Roman Empire.

  • National Significance

    National Significance

    What makes the Vindolanda Collection of national significance and why should we protect it?

  • What is Designation?

    What is Designation?

    The Designation Scheme has identified the best collections held in museums, libraries and archives across England. The Scheme seeks to recognize and protect these outstanding collections.

Most read

  • Tickets & Arrival Windows

    Tickets & Arrival Windows

    How to visit Vindolanda Roman Fort and Museum and the Roman Army Museum. This page will take you through the new systems we have in place for visiting our sites, what is open and how to visit.

  • Roman Vindolanda Fort & Museum

    Roman Vindolanda Fort & Museum

    Visit Roman Vindolanda today and you will find one of the North East’s most famous and not to be missed tourist attractions lying in the beautiful landscape of Hadrian's Wall Country. Formerly a key military post on the northern frontier of Britain, Vindolanda is the home of Britain's 'Top Treasure' - the Vindolanda Writing Tablets - and is one Europe's most important Roman archaeological sites, with live excavations taking place every year.

  • Roman Army Museum

    Roman Army Museum

    Lying in magnificent countryside next to a sweeping section of Hadrian's Wall and based at the site of Magna Roman Fort, the Roman Army Museum is an authentic and dramatic tribute to Rome’s extraordinary military legacy. Step into the life of a Roman soldier and experience life on the front line of Emperor Hadrian’s formidable British frontier.

  • Getting here

    Getting here

    How to find us no matter how you like to travel, make your journey as smooth as possible and enjoy more time with us.

  • Visitor Information

    Visitor Information

    Information and links to all you need to know about visiting our sites, Roman Vindolanda Fort and Museum and the Roman Army Museum.

  • Booking and Visiting FAQ's

    Booking and Visiting FAQ's

    Have you got questions about what to expect when you arrive or how to book? Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page which answers some of our visitors most popular queries.

  • Ancient Graffiti Uncovered

    Ancient Graffiti Uncovered

    The latest Vindolanda discovery of an ancient carved stone with the image of a phallus and graffiti gives us a fascinating window into the emotions of someone in the 3rd century.

  • Day Planner

    Day Planner

    This is a suggested day planner for your visit to Roman Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum.

  • Work for us

    Work for us

    Find out about any opportunities to join the award winning teams at Vindolanda and the Roman Army Musuem.

  • Luna, Moon Goddess

    Luna, Moon Goddess

    The ancient Roman moon goddess, Luna, derives her name from the Latin lucere, meaning ‘to shine’ and was seen not only as the divine embodiment of the moon but also the female counterpart of the sun, Sol.

Carved stone depicting mystery horseman uncovered.

Carved stone depicting mystery horseman uncovered.

A beautifully carved sandstone relief which depicts a naked male figure holding a spear stood in front of a horse/donkey has been uncovered during the annual excavations at the Roman fort of Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. Read more

Published: 28th June, 2021

Updated: 13th May, 2022

Author: Sonya Galloway

Latest tweet

Sign up for our newsletter

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Contact us
  • Full sitemap
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Charity No. 1159798 Company No. 9182268

© Copyright 2019 Charity. All rights reserved.


+44 (0)1434 344277

Manage Cookie Preferences