9/27: Vindolanda & Hiking Along Hadrian's Wall!

When planning our itinerary so long ago for our six-week trip to mostly Ireland and then a few areas in Wales, Scotland and finally London, we thought it would be great to hike along part of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. After leaving Wales the previous day, we'd spent a few magical hours touring the Beatles' sights in Liverpool, quickly drove through the gorgeous northern Lake District before settling in for the night in Hexham, near to the Wall. To gain some understanding of the Roman invasion of England, it was important for us to first visit Vindolanda, the large Roman fort near the wall, and its excellent museum.

Vindolanda was occupied for over 300 years and was an important frontier fort and village long before the construction of Hadrian's Wall. The Roman invasion became an occupation and Vindolanda became a place that generations of soldiers and their families called home. 

In addition to the sheer number of objects excavated from Vindolanda, exceptional ground conditions in parts of the site preserved thousands of items that normally wouldn't have survived. These included clothing, shoes, tents and writing tablets which provided a valuable record of the people who lived there. 

The largest collection of leather items found anywhere in the Roman Empire was due to the oxygen-free ground conditions at Vindolanda. Amazingly, new objects are still excavated every year which adds to the museum's collection and knowledge about Roman life. Somehow archaeologists were able to determine that the shoes gave an indication of Roman society at Vindolanda as some people mended their footwear and only threw away old shoes when they were beyond repair. Others, though, discarded otherwise sturdy shoes or boots that were still in reasonable condition.

It was evident that the shoe-making process hasn't changed much in the last 2,000 years. Tanned leather was carefully cut in the required shape for the intended shoe or boot and placed over a last - a foot-shaped stand - which was used to shape the shoe. Somehow, scientists were able to ascertain that many shoes were especially made for a person who would have placed their foot on a pattern to determine their exact size and shape.

Decorated eyelets were pretty common on even the simplest of shoes. More expensive shoes were highly decorated or had latticework designs. Outdoor shoes had heavily studded soles to prolong their wear.

Out of the thousands of individual pieces of footwear which were discovered at Vindolanda, there was only one pair of shoes. The size indicated they likely belonged to a man and they were discarded when still in fairly good condition.

Children's shoes also had studded soles and were the same style as their adult counterparts. Experts believed that this expensive child's boot with its delicate tooled upper probably belonged to the children of prefect Flavius Cerali.

Decorative shoes: Soldiers and civilians with extra money to spend could buy shoes with a lattice work upper. These hand-cut pieces of footwear would have been quite expensive. It was fascinating to read that there was evidence to suggest that colored socks would have been worn with this type of shoe to highlight the pattern. Look at the fancy stud patterns on the studded soles. 

The drawstring bag was made from ox hide and was similar to those used by craftsmen today. It may have been used to carry nails or small tools.

Vindolanda textiles were all made of woven wool with a wide variety of weaves. Some of the textiles was coarsely woven while others showed very fine weaving techniques. The Vindolanda textiles were the largest collection of Roman woven material to come from Britain. Just like with the collection of shoes, the ground conditions at Vindolanda meant that even fragile textiles, which normally would have decayed, still survived in great condition.

There was also a significant collection of needles recovered from Vindolanda, including a large copper allow one. The bone and tiny iron needles would have been used for all types of sewing and the metal ones used for medical purposes.  

This remarkable lady's wig or hair piece was made from locally grown hair moss! Fortunately, the moss possessed properties that deterred insects, including the feared local midges. 

Basketry was a common craft in Roman times and wicker baskets were used for a multitude of everyday purposes. Although no complete basket was found at Vindolanda, a basket lid that dated to AD 95 and made of local willow was found in the earliest fort ditch.

I sure never expected to see tent pegs that were used to anchor Roman tents while visiting Vindolanda! Tents for eight men were used when the army was on the march with multiple tent pegs required for each tent.

The Vindolanda Altar was an exceptional 3rd century stone found at the edge of the settlement and was the only place along Hadrian's Wall where there was evidence of the full name of the settlement from the inhabitants themselves. It was discovered in 1914 during drainage operation near the well on the western edge of the settlement. 

Publius Aelius Hadrian was the first emperor likely to have stayed at Vindolanda when he reigned from AD 117-138. One interesting fact: Hadrian was the first emperor to sport a beard as was shown on his portraits as well as on his coinage. Vindolanda, located midway between either end of the Wall, was an ideal base that he could inspect the early stages of Wall-building during his visit in 122.

Roman society operated in a cash economy with soldiers paid in cash after deductions for a variety of expenses. They were then able to purchase a variety of goods and also gamble from time to time. Some 2,500 coins, but none of them gold ones, were found at Vindolanda, with some issued from 100 BC and earlier to others minted in 396 AD. Although the first Vindolanda fort wasn't constructed until the mid AD80s, many earlier coins were still circulation.

The Roman Empire extended across a vast area. As the Empire expanded, Rome took advantage of the natural resources of the different provinces. Some towns and regions specialized in producing particular foods and other goods which were transported to be used in other parts of the Empire.

Samian ware: Glossy red-coated tableware was principally from Gaul or present-day France, and exported throughput the Empire. Britain received vast quantities until the end of the 3rd century. 

Fragments of painted glass were found at Vindolanda depicting a variety of decorative scenes. Glass was used for many purposes in Roman Britain. Glass-making was carried out in Britain as well as many other parts of the Roman empire. Glass was used for artificial gem stones, counters, bottles, jars, bracelets and window panes. It was manufactured in a variety of colors and although plain glass was the most common, it could be decorated in a a number of ways.

The village or vicus at Vindolanda was a vibrant place with people engaged in a whole range of activities. The surviving remains helped to tell visitors which buildings were used as shops, homes or for other purposes. The village and facilities made life more pleasant for the soldiers and it was also a focus for trade and industry which enabled Rome to spread its influence over the wider local community. The landscape surrounding the fort and village was exploited for mining, quarrying and other industries.

Bathhouses were an important part of Roman life. They were places where soldiers and other members of the community went to not only bathe but also to relax and socialize. 

In the summer of 2009, a temple was discovered built into the northwestern rampart at Vindolanda. It was an unexpected discovery as the Romans rarely placed temples within the walls of their forts. The temple was dedicated to an eastern weather god from modern day southern Turkey that can be traced well before the rise of Rome.

This tombstone was made for a wealthy female but found reused in repairs to the 4th century fort wall. Even though the inscription was missing, the pale buff sandstone suggested it was a 3rd century burial because that type of stone was quarried then. The stonemason didn't produce a very flattering image of the lady, did he?! Although the carving was of poor quality, it still would have been an expensive stone. Fragments of a number of other female tombstones were also found at Vindolanda but strangely, none of men.

As we'd already seen, the excavations at Vindolanda had recovered many remarkable objects. The museum considered though that the real 'jewels in the crown' were the tiny ink writing tablets as they shed the most vivid light on the activities of the people who lived in the northern frontier of the Roman frontier before Hadrian's Wall was built. Hundreds of tablets recovered so far included a detailed stores list from AD 111, part of a duty officer's report, a soldier's leave request, and fragments of personal letters to the commanding officer, Flavius Cerialis. It made sense that while many people are intrigued by gold and silver objects recovered from ancient civilizations, these tiny scraps of wood actually revealed far more about the lives of their owners.

According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC. The Romans began taking over other cities until they controlled all of Italy including the islands of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia. By 100 BC, and with their great rivals, the Carthaginians, defeated, most of the northern Mediterranean was in Roman hands including Greece, large parts of Spain, Turkey and land in North Africa. 

The empire grew bigger due to the conquests by first Pompey and then Julius Caesar. Caesar tried to invade Britain in 55 BC but he failed to occupy the island. Caesar Augustus, Caesar's successor and the first Roman emperor, expanded the empire to include Egypt, the Balkans and complete control of Spain in 30 BC. When Emperor Claudius invaded Britain in AD 43, he succeeded where Caesar had failed 98 years earlier. 

One of the most important Roman forts in the north was established at Vindolanda in AD 85.

The Roman Empire reached its fullest extent under Emperor Trajan, Hadrian's predecessor. Hadrian pulled back the boundaries of the empire. About AD 450, the Roman army withdrew from Britain as the soldiers were needed elsewhere because the empire was under attack from all sides. The empire finally dissolved in AD 476.

Legionary and auxiliary troops made up the two distinct parts of the Roman army. This well trained force, with its strict chain of command, fought as a unit with soldiers given specific tasks and roles to play which was often in contrast to the more random approach of those they were fighting.

The Roman army was a professional fighting force with paid soldiers, something that was very unusual 2,000 years ago. Heavily armed and strictly disciplined, the army brought new tactics and intensity to war as it conquered territories and people across Europe and beyond. 

Although we read a lot about the 'Roman' army, it was actually made up of auxiliary soldiers from many parts of the empire. Auxiliaries were non-citizen soldiers from lands the Romans had conquered. As the empire expanded, the army grew and more auxiliaries were recruited. Auxiliaries from newly conquered lands were often chosen because they had specific fighting skills which the Romans had admired in battle. Cavalry and archers from Thracia, modern day Bulgaria, were particularly useful for traveling long distances quickly and fighting the enemy from long distances. To avoid any potential loyalties to the local enemy, auxiliaries were employed to fight in countries other than their own homeland.

A crucial part of a soldier's uniform were his boots as soldiers had to march many miles during training and maneuvers. Boots were made of leather and had iron studs fitted to the soles to provide grip and slow down wear. 

Two thousand years ago, Britain was a land of many different native tribes who shared languages and customs but who also had a strong sense of their own identities. Settlements reflecting thousands of years of living and farming dotted the land. These tribes had contacts near and far, reflecting trade and warfare with friends and foe.

The Roman invasion brought with it a change of ideas and a big challenge for the native Britons. This new threat saw some old rivalries cast aside as they faced a new, common threat while others allied themselves with the power of Rome to strengthen their own position.

Some British tribes fully cooperated with the Roman invaders, but both they and those who defied and were defeated had to pay taxes to the army, and were subject to the rule of Rome.Although the Roman conquest may have been brutal and bloody, there were also advantages for the Britons. The Romans brought with them technological advancement, trade, a monetary economy and law and order. 

The construction of Hadrian's Wall marked the edge of the empire. It was a physical demonstration of Emperor Hadrian's desire to consolidate rather than expand the empire which he administered and ruled. Built between AD122-128, Hadrian's Wall stretched from east to west spanning 73 miles and including 17 forts. 

Vindolanda was an important frontier fort and village for 40 years before the construction of Hadrian's Wall. Though the wall was built north of the fort, Vindolanda continued to prosper because of its location on the Stanegate, the main route east-west along the frontier. 

In 1831, Vindolanda's first excavator, Rev. Andrew Headley, built an ornate 'cottage' for his family, calling it Chesterholm. The cottage was constructed in stone from the nearby fort and newly quarried stone probably from the reused Roman quarry behind the cottage. The former 'cottage' was now the home of the Vindolanda Museum.

People have been visiting Vindolanda for centuries. An early record of the ruins at Vindolanda was made as long ago as 1586 by antiquarian William Camden. Over the next 200 years, more accounts of the site were written which have proved invaluable because they came before much of the stone stealing.

Three hundred yards to the north of where we stood was the only Roman milestone from Britain that survived intact in its original position even though it didn't have an inscription. This replica milestone showed what its predecessor might have looked like when it was erected in AD 121, the year before Hadrian came to start building the Wall.

I took some overview photos of the site as I have always had difficulty when we visit ruins understanding what exactly what I am seeing. I marvel at how archaeologists can bring these sites to life and 'know' what to me was a collection of stones meant!

Thanks to a description onsite, we knew this water tank had a long history. It was first used at the beginning of the 4th century when the builders reused the walls of an earlier building and dug its floor out. After being used for a while, the water tank was enclosed and it became an indoor space. At the end of the 4th century, the slabs that formed a small entry tank were rearranged to form steps so people could walk into the water.

From AD 275-409, many changes happened inside the fort. Two large cavalry barracks were built in the southeast quadrant. 

It was amazing to think that just inches below the grass revealed so many incredible archaeological finds! All we could think was what secrets might possibly still be underneath to be 'discovered' by future archaeological teams.

Three buildings dominated a Roman military settlement and those there all placed in the middle of the fort. The principia, praetorium and the horrea were always located in the center of a Roman fort so they could be easily located by anyone entering the fort's main gate.

The headquarters building or principia was the most impressive building in the fort where the regimental officers and their clerks maintained the records. A sunken strong room stored the soldiers' pay and savings. Another room displayed precious regimental emblems and a statue of the emperor.

We wandered over to look at the remains of a number of circular stone buildings that extended beneath the fort wall. The round houses predated the fort wall and belonged to an earlier encampment occupied during an expedition against revolting northern tribes from AD 208-211. They may have housed friendly farming families threatened by the revolt. Scientists found a layer of burnt material above the floors which suggested to them the houses may have burned down. 

A shot from the round houses:

The temple to Jupiter Dolichenus, the ancient weather god who originally came from what is now southeastern regions of modern Turkey, was unusual because it was built inside the walls of the fort. We read that when it was built around AD 220, it was likely done at the behest of the commanding officer of the 4th Cohort of Gauls. When paganism was replaced by Christianity, the building was destroyed in AD 370. The worship of Dolichenus was associated with feasting and the central heated room was identified as a possible feasting hall. In the center of the main room was a shrine to the god.

During the excavations in 2009, three altars were uncovered which proved the use of the temple. The largest was set up by the commanding officer of the 4th Cohort of Gauls and named the god. We couldn't see it but I read that one side of the altar showed he god standing on the back of a bull with a double ax in his right hand and a lightning bold in his left. 

The Intervallum Road was the ring road inside the fort that linked the battlements, towers, gates and major internal roadways inside the fort together. It would have been one of the busiest social spaces inside the fort and gave access to rampart ovens where the majority of soldiers' food was prepared and cooked. 

Located next to the workshops at the west gate of the fort and therefore in a prime position was the tavern, one of the largest buildings in the village or vicus.

Also in the fort was the mausolea, the remains of two small buildings for the burial of the dead as remembering the dead was an important Roman religious belief. That was done by erecting a tomb, generally with an inscription, in an important place. The tombs and mausolea were generally placed along busy roads that led in and out of settlements as it was against Roman law to bury the dead inside the walls of a town.

The replicas of Hadrian's Wall were constructed from 1972-1974 based on plans gained by modern excavations or what could be seen of the visible standing remains. They gave us a real impression of the scale of the fort and Wall as well as how long it might survive without being constantly maintained. We had to wonder how sites like Hadrian's Wall decayed in the British climate and how successive garrisons serving on the Wall had to maintain such a huge frontier system.

We read that not all of Hadrian's Wall started out in stone. The section of the wall to the Cumbria coast was first started in turf and timber before later being rebuilt in stone. Knowing that made us realize what an awesome barrier and incredible achievement the construction of Hadrian's Wall once was!

The remains of the stone buildings  we saw were just a fraction of what was once here at Vindolanda in ancient times. Before the last stone fort was built about AD 213, there had been eight forts beforehand, mostly built out of wood. The earliest wooden fort at Vindolanda was constructed in AD 85, 43 years before Hadrian's Wall was completed. You know where it was now? Buried 5 meters, about 15 feet, below our feet!! Some of the wooden forts at the site were up to three times larger than the last stone fort we had been walking around for the last 90 minutes! The wooden towns that went with these forts still stretched under the ground in the far distance beyond the parking lot where we entered. 

Layer upon layer of building and demolition has helped to keep the air away from the sunken layers of Vindolanda and stopped them from rotting so that almost everything that was dropped had the potential to survive. One of the most important archaeological discoveries of the modern age was made just a few meters from this spot. That was the Vindolanda writing tablets we'd seen earlier in the museum. Also called Roman letters and mail, they have been classified as the top treasure in the British Museum! If and when Steven and I return to London one day, you can bet we'll make a beeline for the museum to see the tablets.

What looked like a globe turned out to be an art sculpture called a Fireball which paid tribute to the archaeologist Robin Birley who directed the excavations at Vindolanda from 1970-2001 and especially his find of over 350 Roman ink-on-wood tablets on a Roman bonfire site here in 1992. Somehow scientists were able to determine that the Roman cohort of the 9th Batavians had been burning their commanding officer's correspondence before they left Vindolanda in AD 105. Again, they somehow learned the bonfire had been lit but abandoned after a rain shower! That meant most of the tablets were singed but otherwise survived to bring understanding about life on the Roman frontier.

The fireball, designed and created by Andy Gage, depicted cursive Roman writing from the tablets. It is lit every year to commemorate the discovery of what is now considered Britain's Top Treasure.

The three great altars and the tombstones were found in the early 19th century and were now located in Chesters Museum. These were exact replicas of Vindolanda inscriptions. 

Because the museum and the site had been so engrossing, we spent far, far longer there than planned and it was therefore quite late when we finally started our hike along part of Hadrian's Wall. We trusted travel writer Rick Steve's suggestion to hike the three miles between Steel Rig and Housesteads Roman Fort and made sure not to walk on the wall itself.

As you can see from the photos, it was again a pretty blustery day with a light rain and quite windy. Not the best day for hiking along the Wall but the weather didn't deter us and we were excited to fuinallybegin!

The path started off easily enough with a level path beside the almost shoulder-high wall.

Quickly, though, we had a more panoramic view of the steep hike into the valley and then back up the other side ahead which proved  be far more challenging because some parts were quite slippery. 

As we plodded along, we could see the natural defenses along the Wall that made its location so perfect for the Romans.

Our companion for part of the day was Mona, a nurse from Lethbridge, Alberta, whom we had met that morning at our hotel in Hexham. She had been traveling by herself and was glad to have some company as we were, too, after not spending more than a few minutes with anyone else for the last five weeks!

The Wall has cynically become known as Hadrian's Shelf because the conveniently pre-cut stones were carried away by peasants during the post-Rome Dark Ages and now form the foundations of local churches, farmhouses and other buildings.

Steves perfectly described the hike as like being on "a slow motion human roller coaster" as we went up hill and down dale, time after time!

We had to be especially wary trudging up and down the stone stairs so as not to slip.

One of the reasons we really wanted to hike this specific portion of Hadrian's Wall was to reach this third gap called Sycamore's Gap with its large symmetrical tree right in the middle. If you saw Kevin Costner in his 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, you may remember seeing this tree that was featured in it!

Steven had to walk way, way down the hill so he could take this photo of me with my arms outstretched wearing my red coat!

We still were only about halfway to Housesteads so we kept trudging along. 

The river was another natural boundary made to order for the Wall.

One part of the hike even took us through a forest for a short bit.

I don't know whether it was the inclement weather that turned people off from hiking that day or what but we only saw about a dozen other people out along the Wall. We did see a few cattle and also some sheep. The former got a little too close for comfort, I remember, or perhaps they thought we did!

The views toward the Roman Military Way that skirted the bottom of the ridge were rather lovely.

It was with some relief when we finally caught sight of the museum at Homesteads Fort that was known as Vervcovicium during Roman times. Having spent so much time at Vindolanda, we had neither the interest nor the time to see it as we still had to hike back to pick up our car at Steel Rig and drive two hours to Glasgow, Scotland!

Roman soldiers began to build Housesteads around AD 124 based on a design used for all their forts across the Roman Empire. We learned that this fort was one of the best surviving examples anywhere. 

The plan was rectangular with a stone wall up to five meters high that was originally backed by an earth rampart. Four gates led onto streets that divided the fort into three areas. Housesteads was occupied until the end of the Roman period in Britain, shortly after AD 400.

In the centuries after the Romans left, ruined buildings were adapted and new ones built at Housesteads when the land around became an upland farm. In the 16th century, a local family built a fortified house called a Bastle House onto the ruined south gate as a refuge against raiding. During the Middle Ages and into the 17th century, families on both sides of the Scottish border were involved in raiding. 

The purpose was to steal cattle, horses and to destroy the property of rivals. Bastle houses were built to resist such attacks and were made in stone with thick walls and very few, tiny windows so they couldn't be destroyed by burning. The ground floor was reserved to shelter animals in safety while the upper floor, only reached by a ladder, was for living and refuge.

The headquarters building or principia acted as the administrative, ceremonial and symbolic heart of the fort where regimental organization and the imperial state religion were focused. The building was in the center of the fort.

Roman forts had granaries to store huge quantities of food required by hundreds of soldiers, The food had to be safe from hazards such as fire, mold and vermin, as well as kept dry and constantly replenished. The granary or horreum was critical for storing foods of all kinds, not just grain for bread. The granaries had strong buttressed stone walls with air vents, an overhanging roof to keep rain away from the walls and raised floors to allow the circulation of air and to stop moisture and rodents from spoiling the supplies. 

In AD 122, Emperor Hadrian's decision to build the Wall was transformed into action all along the frontier. The foundation for the Wall and a lookout tower were begun here at Housesteads.

A communal latrine: With up to 800 men living in the fort, good hygiene was essential to keep them healthy. This latrine was in excellent condition and revealed the clean, communal attitude to hygiene in the Roman world. The sewer was flushed by rainwater brought from all over the fort in drains, and out via a culvert under the fort wall. In dry spells, rainwater collected from the roofs of nearby buildings and stored in stone tanks was used to flush the sewers.

In the Mediterranean, sponges were available as 'toilet paper' but here soldiers likely used moss, bracken or rags. I sure hope we, in the age of the coronavirus, won't be reduced to using similar items!

The only place anywhere along the Wall people were permitted to walk on it was at Housesteads so we took full advantage of it!

After saying goodbye to Mona who wanted to spend time at the museum and then return to Hexham, Steven and I decided to take what turned out to be the far easier footpath that paralleled the Wall back to the car park in Steel Rig. It was a nice change of pace (pun intended!) as well as faster which was an added benefit since we still had a long way to go before reaching Glasgow.

On the way we passed a traditional Northumbrian sheep farm.

Steven's turn at Sycamore Gap!

Though it had been another long day, we wouldn't have missed it for the world. It turned out to be a perfect combination of a top-notch museum, a vigorous hike in some stunning scenery, and learning a lot about how Romans left their mark 2,000 years ago in northern England.

Next post: Sunny Glasgow - hooray!

I am concurrently writing posts about our all too brief trip to Asia and the Middle East that was supposed to have been four months along before we had to cut it short after just a couple of weeks because of  the advancing coronavirus. Here's a link to the latest post about our visit to the Ceylon Tea Museum high in the hills outside of Kandy, Sri Lanka:

https://bergersadventures8.blogspot.com/2020/04/36-kandys-ceylon-tea-museum-sir-tea.html

Posted on April 14th, 2020, from our home in Denver a couple of days after a heavy spring storm dumped lots of snow and we had the coldest Easter since 1937!