The Field – August 2019

WWW.THEFIELD.CO.UK 133

The enthralling world

of Roman Vindolanda

ThesiteofVindolandafromtheair.It lies just south

of Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland

Tirelessexcavationwork,aidedbya numberofluckyvolunteers,hasbroughtthis

once-thriving Roman garrison in Northumberland to life in all manner of ways

WRITTEN BY DANIEL PEMBREY

wall-buildingprojectthatmarkedoutthe

northern-mostedgeoftheRomanEmpire.

Notonlyisitanexceptionalplacetovisit

today,withworld-classexhibitionsatboth

Vindolanda and its sister Roman Army

Museum nearby, butalso youcan joinin

the excavations, with the prospect of

unearthingstartlingfinds.

YoumightimaginethatlifeforRoman

soldiers stationed in north Britain, 1,100

miles from Rome, was bleak. Arriving at

Vindolanda, this view is soon dispelled. The

site covers fully 15 acres.While life here

betweenthefirstandfourthcenturieswas

notexactlypeaceful(themenaceofrestless

nativeswasconstant),it wassurelydivert-

ing,thankstothepoliticsofpotentialcareer

advancement,templesofworship,restora-

tive bathing and relaxation,a varied diet

includingbeerand wine,and, indeed, an

entire ‘entertainment district’.

I

fyouwanttolearnfrom
thepastaboutourcoun-
try’scurrentaffairs,you
could do worse than
lookbacktoRomanBrit-
ain– a fascinatingworld
of continually shifting power dynamics.
Arguably nowhere offers better insights
intothisworldthantheVindolandaexca-
vationsitenearHadrian’sWall.Vindolanda
(‘shininglawn’inCeltic)wasbotha strate-
gic fort and a supply base for the massive