Vindolanda Fort

Vindolanda was a Roman fort and is an active archeological site located in Northumbria in the United Kingdom. Predating the construction of Hadrian’s wall, Vindolanda provides a look at Roman life on the frontier. Based on current excavations, archeologists date the fort as being occupied from 85 BCE to 370 CE. The occupation of the site can be broken down into thirteen periods and was likely abandoned by the Romans fully towards the end of the fourth century. However, evidence shows that this site continued to be occupied past the Roman period. This site is significant due to the artifacts that have been preserved in the Anoxic conditions of the area, such as the Vindolanda tablets, which are the oldest preserved writing in Britain. The artifacts discovered inform modern scholars of everyday life in a Roman fort and on the frontiers of Roman territory.