We’re often given comparisons between the Roman Empire & today’s world. In some ways, I don’t think you can compare the two - in others, we have a lot in common! When I want to describe just how connected the Roman world was, I talk about Vindolanda, on Hadrian’s Wall. THREAD /1 
Vindolanda wasn’t the biggest fort on Hadrian’s Wall. It didn’t even house legionaries - rather, it was for auxiliary infantry troops & later, cavalry. The first to arrive were Tungri (Belgian) troops, then Batavi (Dutch) and others. Each rebuilt, depending to their needs. /2
The fort we see shows the last restructuring, in the 4th century, using stone and other materials. Some think that increased efforts at fortification reflect dangerous times on the wall as Rome began to lose its grip on Britannia, due to many troubles at home. /3
Vindolanda was accompanied by what is known as a ‘Vicus’ - a civilian settlement. This is where slaves, wives & children of soldiers might live, as well as traders & artisans. There’s plenty of evidence that it was a bustling, busy place that endured for around a century. /4
The sheer amount of finds at Vindolanda, preserved by soldiers abandoning and building over their discarded goods, indicate that the fort was supplied with items from all over the empire. Sandals, bridles, statuettes and cavalry gear show a wide provenance. /5
What makes Vindolanda very special for archaeologists is the discovery in 1973 of what, at first glance, appeared to be wood scraps. Under very close examination, however, they turned out to be a cache of wooden tablets that had been written on - Roman letters and records! /6
These ‘Vindolanda Tablets’ revealed correspondence to *all corners of the Empire* - Rome, Antioch, Gaul & more. There are leave requests, requisitions for beer, invites to parties & letters from mums to sons. You can explore them here. /7 vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk
These tablets suggest that there was an effective, efficient mail system that helped Romans, wherever they were, keep in touch. They weren’t just focused on who and what was around them, they were truly connected to events far away. /8
Other spectacular finds from Vindolanda include a pair of boxing gloves, probably used during sparring sessions, & what may be Britain’s oldest existing toilet seat! This was no remote, desolate outpost - for most of its existence it was busy, well-stocked & fully operational. /9
There is one rather sinister find though. In 2012, the skeleton of a girl, aged between 6 and 10, was found buried under the floor of one of the barracks. It’s pretty certain to be murder, based on the fact that Romans forbade burial in inhabited areas. /10
The child died of a blow to the back of the head. There have been attempts to learn more about who she was, and why she died - recent investigations reveal that she was not a local, probably from the Mediterranean. /11 independent.co.uk/news/science/a…
Since first excavations in the 19th century, Vindolanda has unearthed a spring of knowledge about life at the very margins of the Roman Empire. The takeaway is, those at the frontier weren’t the isolated types - they were very connected to the rest of their Roman world. /12
You are very much encouraged to visit Vindolanda - now it is administered by the @VindolandaTrust, who have established an excellent nearby museum and interpretive guides for the site. I visited as a wee child - I can wait to go back! /13 vindolanda.com
Should you want to, you can even take part in a dig at Vindolanda - what better way to learn about the past and the skills that archaeologists use in their work? /14 vindolanda.com/excavate
If you want to learn more about the site, here’s an outline of the various buildings on the site, who was there and what they were doing. /15 roman-britain.co.uk/places/vindola…
If you would like to learn more about the actual archaeological work on the site, here’s a great, extensive PDF guide (Warning: 83mb) /16 archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/…
Hope you enjoyed that - Roman Britain is endlessly fascinating for me, a vibrant, exotic, chaotic yet strangely familiar place. If you have any questions, just ask - Vale! /FIN
PS. Here is the thread in a Google Doc. docs.google.com/document/d/1Wn…
PS II - So that UNBELIEVABLE PEDANT @EoinShardlut ;) has *quite rightly* pointed out that Vindolanda wasn't actually on the wall, but on the Stanegate, the supply road that preceded it, then supplied it. As you can see, it's very, very close though.
PS III - There's some good information about the Stanegate, its initial usage to connect forts, then its absorption into the fabric of Hadrian's Wall here. roman-britain.co.uk/frontier/stane…
