Do you have difficulty packing for holidays? Just imagine being a soldier in the Roman army given days or even only hours to pack for a journey to some remote part of the empire that you know nothing about. What do you take with you? You would obviously need the essentials, many of which we would probably take with us today like a comb, tent pegs (if you were camping), and a day sack or backpack.
Things you would never consider, such as a plasterer’s float, a trowel, a grain scoop and a spade were essential equipment for Roman soldiers, who would have to build camps from scratch when they were on the march.
Find out how a Roman saddle stiffener changed the capabilities of the cavalry and brings back memories of bareback horse riding. Read more
This object looks a bit unusual and has had an interesting life. Find out more about the object's history and the process of identification here. Read more
It might not be a 'looker' but this Roman wooden tent peg found at Vindolanda is a great example of something that hasn't changed in nearly 2000 years! Find out what memories it evokes.... Read more
Under what circumstances did the user of this pointing trowel leave it with mortar still stuck to it? Was he called away on another job and thought that he would be back to clean his tools? Or was he the apprentice who had not been told that he should never leave his tools in a dirty condition? Read more
Can you imagine the amount of food that a garrison of soldiers would consume in a week? Feeding the Roman soldiers must have been a huge undertaking! Large military grain stores held the supplies, but have you ever thought about the scoops and measures that were used to allocate the rations? Read more