Vindolanda Tablets Head for Home
Early Roman Texts to be Sent Back to Vindolanda
Roman soldiers based at Vindolanda, the Roman fort and settlement at the coldest extremity of the Roman Empire, were not so different to modern Britons. While they had a job to do in maintaining order and control of the north western border (along Hadrian's Wall, although Vindolanda was inhabited before Hadrian built his frontier), they also ensured they weren't out of pocket for their troubles.
Discovered in 1973, the Vindolanda Tablets are wooden message boards dating back to 85 AD. Their messages include an invitation to a birthday party as well as expense claims for all those Roman soldier essentials (mostly items of food and basic clothing to keep those Mediterraneans warm in the cooler climes of northern Britain). These wooden boards were then sent around the empire in the Roman postal system.
An Important Step for the Heritage of North East England
Up until now they have been on display in the British Museum in London. But now funding of £1.8 million from regional development agency One North East will enable these Roman scripts to be displayed at Vindolanda and Hadrian's Wall for a series of themed exhibitions.
According to Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd, the return of the Vindolanda Tablets to their location of discovery is an important step in celebrating the home of Britain's earliest handwriting. She said: “The transformation at Vindolanda will be the first manifestation of the future vision of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage site, the north west frontier of the Roman Empire.”
Moats and Duck Houses: Not the Roman Way
Of course it would be impossible to mention Roman expense claims without making a passing comment about the modern-day expenses fiasco being endlessly debated in the British press. I can't help noticing that, unlike British MPs, those Roman soldiers' expense claims were fairly modest: items include pigs, animal hides, nails and bread. Not a duck house of a moat in site for those hard-living, spartan Roman soldiers. Of course the soldiers were a breed apart from the notoriously excessive emperors. Unfortunately the daily tabloids from 85 AD (or at least the Roman equivalent) haven't survived, so there is no way of knowing if there was any kind of expense scandal 2,000 years ago. I suspect there wasn't.
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This is great news. As a resident of the North East it has always been important to me that the artefact should be close to the context in which it was found. The vindolanda writing tablets is the first. What about repartriating the Elgin Marbles next? Surely its time for the British museum to wise up, give back and start promoting British history?
...We may not live in such politically enlightened times with regards to the money-chasing antics of our modern MPs. Then again, our politicians don't make our men fight to the death in huge foreign arenas, or spend thousands on lavish parties, drinks and orgies. Actually...
any info on when the new museum will open?
UPDATE: A date has now been set for the return of some of the Vindolanda Tablets to the museum at Vindolanda in Northumberland, following an announcement this week that the UK's Heritage Lottery Fund is to donate £4 million towards the costs. The date now set for some of the tablets to be housed at the Vindolanda museum is spring 2011 – they will come on loan from the British Museum for a period of five years, after which the loan can be renewed.
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