Writing Tablet Mystery

Help the archaeologists decipher the words on these thin pieces of wood. What can they tell us about how the Romans lived? Use the Roman alphabet translator to turn the cursive writing into the English alphabet to uncover the hidden messages.

Latest

WelcoMe booking page

Page with access to the WelcoMe apps to notify staff of upcoming visits
Lost (Letters) & Found (Photographs)

Guest blog: Dr Catherine Teitz
When a photograph can’t speak a thousand words, but a letter can. Dr Teitz looks at photographs from the Vindolanda archive and how they can help us understand more about the site and its history. Continuing the blog series on Archive Archaeology.
Productive Piles of Paper

Guest blog: Dr Catherine Teitz
Continuing the blog series on Archive Archaeology, Dr Teitz is looking at where our archives are and what can be found within them.
Archive Archaeology

Guest blog: Dr Catherine Teitz
Ever wondered how archaeologists keep learning about the site beyond the excavation and the lab? Or wondered why all their paperwork might be important? Archives are so much more than silent libraries, crumbling books, and dusty boxes. Find out more here!

Finding the first Vindolanda Writing Tablet

Finding the first Vindolanda Writing Tablet: A personal recollection of the most astonishing discovery on 23 March 1973, by Patricia Birley.
Writing tablets

Junior Blogs
What are writing tablets? Where are they found? See some examples of the different writing tablets found at Vindolanda and what we can we learn from them.
Revealing The Vindolanda Writing Tablets

Video Blog
Curator for the Vindolanda Trust, Barbara Birley, takes us through the process of conserving and photographing the Vindolanda Writing tablets so that they can be read, translated and the secrets they hold revealed.
Top treasures to go on display

News: Oct 2019
More of Britain's top treasure are now on display at Vindolanda. Discovered in the summer of 2017 four new writing tablets are to be displayed in the Vindolanda Museum from spring 2020.

Tickets

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

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

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.
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.
Luna, Moon Goddess

Volunteer blog - Jackie James
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.
Getting here

How to find us no matter how you like to travel. Whether biking, busing or marching, make your journey as smooth as possible and enjoy more time with us.
Day Planner

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

Find out about what's involved, how to participate and when you can see the digging taking place. We are now fully booked for the 2024 Excavation season.
Work for us

Find out about any opportunities to join the award winning teams at Vindolanda and the Roman Army Musuem. We currently have three new fixed term posts with the Vindolanda Trust- Part of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site and based at the Roman Site of Magna.
Local Accommodation

There is a vast range of places to stay near to Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum with all budgets catered for.

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