The excavations at Vindolanda have revealed some of the most precious and unique artefacts in Roman history. From leather boxing gloves and children’s shoes to wooden hair combs and the first evidence of female writing in Britain, this collection of artefacts typifies the amazing and diverse array of material culture present in Britain during the Roman period. The objects demonstrate the connections Britain had to the Continent and the Mediterranean world of the Roman Empire in a vibrant and sometimes personal way.


These fifty objects illustrate the wealth of knowledge that can be gleaned from everyday items, and through them an understanding of the communities that lived at Vindolanda almost 2,000 years ago.