Astonishing discovery of deeply personal letters from the Romans living at Hadrian's Wall

The story of the Vindolanda Tablets' discovery began in the summer of 1973 when Robin Birley, the then director of excavations at the Vindolanda site, stumbled upon what appeared to be thin, delicate pieces of wood amidst the ancient Roman ruins.

Initially, Birley and his team assumed they were dealing with some form of plant matter or detritus, but upon closer inspection, they discovered faint traces of ink writing on the wooden fragments.

This discovery was unexpected, to say the least, as organic materials such as wood and ink rarely survive in the archaeological record for such extended periods.

Excitement quickly grew as more tablets were unearthed. The team was soon faced with the formidable challenge of carefully extracting and preserving these incredibly fragile artifacts.

Over the years, hundreds of tablets were discovered, each varying in size and condition, some as small as postage stamps and others almost the size of a postcard.

The tablets were found in the anaerobic, oxygen-free conditions of the fort's old rubbish heaps, which helped preserve them for almost two millennia.

The initial public reception to the discovery of the Vindolanda Tablets was a mixture of astonishment and fascination.

Academics, historians, and the general public were intrigued by the unprecedented insights these tablets provided into the daily life and language of Roman Britain.

The discovery was widely reported in the media, with the Vindolanda Tablets quickly becoming renowned as one of the most important finds in the study of Roman Britain.

The Vindolanda Tablets are a series of thin, postcard-sized wooden leaf-tablets that were used for writing during the Roman period in Britain.

The tablets vary in size but are typically small, with the largest being roughly the size of a modern postcard and the smallest comparable to a postage stamp.

Despite their age, the tablets are surprisingly well-preserved, thanks to the oxygen-free conditions in which they were found.

Most of the tablets have been split along the natural grain of the wood. One side is usually smoother, appearing to be the 'front' where the majority of the text is found, while the back is rougher and often contains only names or addresses.

They are thin, usually just a millimeter or two thick, which is a testament to the skill and precision of the ancient craftspeople who made them.

The writing on the tablets was done with a stylus or a reed pen, using a carbon-based ink.

The ink, now faded, was originally a glossy black according to contemporary descriptions.

The text on the tablets is written in Latin, with the script style corresponding to Old Roman Cursive.

This style of handwriting is quite different from the monumental inscriptions and formal writing that are often associated with Latin from this period, making the tablets challenging to decipher.

The conditions of the tablets varied greatly at the time of their discovery. Some were found in excellent condition, with clear writing that could be read almost immediately.

Others, however, were faded or damaged, with ink that had been smeared or washed away over the centuries.

Nevertheless, even these tablets have proven invaluable to historians, providing snippets of information that, when combined with other sources, can help to form a more complete picture of life in Roman Britain.

The content of the Vindolanda Tablets is incredibly diverse, reflecting the varied and vibrant life of the Roman fort and its surroundings.

They contain a mix of official military and administrative documents, personal correspondence, lists, and accounts.

These tablets, rather than being formal, official Roman records, provide a unique and intimate glimpse into the everyday lives and concerns of the people who lived and worked in and around the fort.

One of the most commonly found types of document is correspondence. These include letters from soldiers, requests for leave, inventories of goods, and even invitations to birthday parties.

Perhaps the most famous of these is a birthday invitation from Claudia Severa, the wife of a Roman commander, to her friend Sulpicia Lepidina.

This tablet is particularly notable as it is one of the earliest known examples of writing in Latin by a woman.

The tablets also contain a great deal of military correspondence. These include reports on troop movements, requests for supplies, and records of the daily administrative matters that were necessary to maintain a functioning military outpost.

These documents have proven invaluable to historians, providing unprecedented insights into the organization and logistics of the Roman military in Britain.

Another notable category of tablets includes writing exercises and school texts, indicating the presence of education and literacy among the inhabitants.

Some of these are simple alphabet exercises, while others contain lines from well-known Latin authors, indicating a degree of literary education.

From a social perspective, the tablets offer unique insights into the everyday life of individuals living in and around the Vindolanda fort.

They reveal details about family life, social events, and personal relationships, such as the aforementioned birthday invitation from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepidina.

This level of personal detail is seldom seen in other surviving documents from this era, giving the tablets a particular resonance and intimacy.

In terms of military history, the tablets provide a wealth of information about the operation of a Roman military fort.

They detail matters such as troop movements, supply requests, and logistical concerns, offering a detailed picture of the Roman military machinery in action.

They also reveal that Roman soldiers in Britain were not isolated warriors but were integrated into a complex network of social and economic relationships.

Economically, the tablets help historians understand the functioning of local and regional economies during the Roman occupation.

They contain various accounts, lists of goods, and transactions, hinting at a vibrant economic system, with the fort acting as a hub of commerce and trade.

Additionally, the Vindolanda Tablets hold significant linguistic importance. As they are written in a less formal style of Latin than is typically seen in other Roman documents, they provide valuable insights into the everyday language used during this period.

This has helped linguists understand more about the evolution of Latin and its variants.

Moreover, the tablets have also sparked interest in understanding the extent and nature of literacy in the Roman Empire.

The variety of handwriting styles, along with the presence of writing exercises, suggests that literacy may have been more widespread than previously thought, extending beyond the elite classes.

The Vindolanda Tablets, while providing invaluable insights into Roman Britain, have also been at the center of several academic controversies and debates.

These primarily concern their interpretation, the extent of literacy in the Roman Empire, and the nature of Roman military service.

One of the key debates surrounding the tablets concerns the interpretation of their content. The handwriting on the tablets is often challenging to read, due to both the cursive script used and the physical condition of the tablets.

Different scholars have sometimes offered conflicting interpretations of the same texts.

In particular, the use of abbreviations, informal language, and occasionally code or cipher in the tablets has led to disagreements over the correct interpretation of certain passages.

Another significant debate sparked by the Vindolanda Tablets relates to the issue of literacy in the Roman Empire.

Traditional scholarship tended to view literacy as relatively rare in the Roman world, particularly outside the higher social classes.

However, the variety of handwriting styles found in the tablets, along with the presence of writing exercises, suggests that literacy may have been more widespread.

This has led to a reevaluation of the extent and nature of literacy in the Roman Empire, with some scholars arguing that it was more common than previously believed.

The tablets have also fueled debates about the nature of Roman military service. Some of the tablets contain references to soldiers' wives and children, suggesting that Roman forts were not just military bases but also served as homes for soldiers and their families.

This contradicts the traditional view of Roman military service as strictly segregated from family life.

However, not all scholars agree on this interpretation, and the nature of Roman military service remains a contested issue.