Vindolanda was a major guard outpost of the Stanegate, a major northern British Roman road and supply route. Pre dating Hadrian’s Wall by 40 years, it was quickly incorporated into the frontier defences of Roman Britain.
The site not only maintained a Roman garrison but a substantial and thriving civilian settlement. Many features from both have been excavated and new finds appear continuously even today
History of Vindolanda
The site at Vindolanda was occupied by the roman army after the defeat of the Caledonians at the battle of Mons Graupius in 85AD. It was established to guard the roman road The Stanegate, a vital supply route crossing northern Roman Britain from east to west.
Vindolanda takes its name from the Latin for ‘white lawns’, the name of the Celtic settlement it usurped. Remains of the round houses from this settlement have been found under the foundations of the fort’s north wall.
There were four earlier forts at vindolanda prior to its final major reconstruction. All were wooden until the fort was rebuilt in stone when it became part of the defences of the newly constructed Hadrian’s Wall. The remains of earlier forts have not been excavated thoroughly as they lie 2-6 metres beneath the stone fort.
The fort reached its peak in the third and fourth centuries AD when it was manned by infantry and cavalry troops from Gaul. It remains occupied until the fifth century AD.
The Fort of Vindolanda
Excavations at vindolanda are ongoing. Features already excavated include:
- The Gates of the fort. Vindolanda had four gates in all. The gate closest to the civilian settlement, the west gate, has been excavated and shown to be flanked by two defensive towers. The east gate on the opposite side of the fort did not.
- The Headquarters Building. Dating from the third-fourth century AD, this occupies the traditional central position of the fort. It has several unusual features including heated rooms and storehouses situated in the veranda around the central courtyard. Vindolanda’s headquarters building also lacked a strong room for the garrison’s funds. Instead, the fort’s money chests were stored in a pit.
- The Shrine of Jupiter of Doliche. One of the newest discoveries at Vindolanda, this shrine and accompanying altar were discovered in 2009 near the north gate of the fort. The 110cm high altar identifies the deity worshiped here. The god is portrayed standing on the back of a bull, complete with an axe and thunderbolt. Jupiter of Doliche was a hybrid of the Roman god Jupiter and an eastern deity popular in the roman army. The dedicatory inscription indicates his shrine was introduced by a prefect of the fourth cohort. It is unusual to find shrines in Roman forts, according to site director Andrew Birley, making this find another unique feature at Vindolanda.
The commander’s house and a temple to an unknown Romano-Celtic deity, both also dating to the third-fourth century AD have also been discovered, as have the remains of the forts wall, which incorporates latrines in the north eastern corner.
Many features of the fort, such as the walls and towers have been reconstructed to give visitors an idea of how the defences of a roman fort looked and worked.
The Civilian Settlement at Vindolanda
Civilian settlements outside roman forts were common, offering support services to the fort and often housing the soldier’s unofficial families.
The remains of the settlement at vindolanda is the most substantial on Hadrian’s Wall. First built in the second century AD it is situated outside the west gate of the fort. Remains include the lower walls of third century houses and shops flanking the main road into the fort. It was clearly a substantial settlement as it also boasted a bathhouse and cemetery.
The town also had a mansion or roman rest house. Set around a central courtyard, this roman hotel had rooms for guests, a kitchen, bath house with some of the original plaster work intact and toilets. Later in the settlements life, it was subdivided into two houses.
Sources
Hadrian’s Wall: A Souvenir Guide to the Roman Wall by David Breeze. English Heritage
 |
