In the waterlogged soil of Vindolanda, archaeologists have discovered something extraordinary: the oldest handwritten documents in Britain. Thin wooden tablets, written in ink nearly 2,000 years ago, preserved by the wet, oxygen-free conditions that would have destroyed them anywhere else.
These Vindolanda writing tablets transform our understanding of life on Hadrian's Wall. They're not official records or grand pronouncements—they're birthday invitations, requests for warm socks, complaints about supply shortages, reports of soldiers too sick to work. They're the everyday voices of people who lived, worked, and died on this remote frontier.
The Discovery
The first tablets were found in 1973, during excavations led by Robin Birley. Initial finds were fragmentary, but as archaeologists learned to recognise these fragile objects in the soil, more emerged. Today, more than 1,800 tablets have been recovered, with more appearing as excavation continues at Vindolanda.
The tablets survived because Vindolanda was repeatedly rebuilt, with old buildings demolished and covered with layers of clay and turf. This created waterlogged, anaerobic conditions that preserved organic materials—wood, leather, textiles—that normally decompose completely. The tablets lay undisturbed for nearly two millennia until archaeologists uncovered them.
What Are They?
The tablets are thin pieces of wood—usually alder or birch—written on with carbon ink using reed pens. Most are folded like modern greetings cards, with the message inside and address outside. They're roughly postcard-sized, though sizes vary.
The writing is Latin—specifically, Roman cursive script that's challenging to read even for experts. Initial study took years; some tablets are still being deciphered. The Vindolanda Tablets Online project at Oxford makes transcriptions and translations freely available.
What Do They Say?
The Birthday Party Invitation
Perhaps the most famous tablet is a birthday invitation from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepidina:
"Claudia Severa to her Lepidina, greetings. On the third day before the Ides of September, sister, for my birthday, I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival... Give my greetings to your Cerialis. My Aelius and my little son send you their greetings. I shall expect you, sister. Farewell, sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper, and hail."
This is the earliest known example of writing by a woman in Latin. The main text was written by a scribe, but Claudia added a personal postscript in her own hand: "I shall expect you, sister." The intimacy of this addition—a woman's voice across two millennia—makes it extraordinarily moving.
Claudia was wife of Aelius Brocchus, commander of a nearby fort. Sulpicia Lepidina was wife of Flavius Cerialis, commander at Vindolanda. Their friendship reminds us that officers' wives formed their own community on this remote frontier.
Requesting Warm Socks
Another tablet is a letter home—probably from a soldier to his family—requesting supplies:
"I have sent you... pairs of socks from Sattua, two pairs of sandals and two pairs of underpants... Greet all my messmates with whom I hope you live in the greatest good fortune."
The British climate was cold for soldiers from warmer parts of the empire. This tablet—requesting socks, sandals, and underwear—reveals how they coped: by asking families to send warm clothing. It's a touchingly mundane request that makes these ancient soldiers feel remarkably human.
Military Strength Reports
Official documents also survive. One famous tablet is a strength report listing the garrison's status:
"18 May, net number of the First Cohort of Tungrians of which the commander is Iulius Verecundus the prefect: 752 including 6 centurions... of whom there are: sick 15, wounded 6, suffering from inflammation of the eyes 10..."
The report lists how many soldiers were at various locations, how many were sick, and what was wrong with them. "Inflammation of the eyes" (probably from smoky barracks) and other ailments appear regularly. The garrison's actual fighting strength was often far below its nominal strength.
Complaining About the British
One tablet, apparently a rough draft of a report, contains a famous description:
"...the Britons are unprotected by armour. There are very many cavalry. The cavalry do not use swords nor do the wretched Britons mount in order to throw javelins."
The phrase "wretched Britons" (Brittunculi) is wonderfully disdainful—these Roman soldiers looked down on the local people they were supposed to be controlling. It's a reminder that cultural tensions existed on both sides of the frontier.
Requests and Supplies
Many tablets deal with supplies and logistics:
- Requests for hunting nets
- Lists of food supplies received
- Beer orders (cervesa appears regularly)
- Leather shipments for shoes and equipment
- Grain distribution records
These mundane documents reveal the complex supply chain supporting the garrison. Feeding and equipping soldiers on this remote frontier required sophisticated logistics.
What the Tablets Reveal
Literacy Was Widespread
The tablets show that literacy extended well beyond the officer class. While some tablets are clearly from commanders and their families, others seem to come from ordinary soldiers. Letters home, shopping lists, personal notes—a range of people could read and write.
Women Were Present
The tablets reveal women living at the fort—officers' wives certainly, but possibly others. The birthday invitation suggests sophisticated social networks among officers' families. References to children and families appear in several tablets.
Life Was Bureaucratic
The Roman army was heavily documented. Strength reports, duty rosters, supply requisitions, leave requests—everything was written down. This bureaucracy left records that archaeologists could later discover.
Soldiers Were Human
The tablets show soldiers as people, not abstractions. They got sick. They wanted warm clothes. They had friends and families. They complained. They celebrated birthdays. They worried about supplies. This human dimension makes the Wall's history come alive.
Where to See Them
The original tablets are fragile—most are in the British Museum in London, where controlled conditions preserve them. Some are displayed at the Vindolanda Trust museum on site.
The museum at Vindolanda provides excellent context for understanding the tablets. Replicas show what they looked like when first written, and displays explain how they were created, used, and preserved.
Visiting Vindolanda during your walk is strongly recommended. The site is just off the main Wall path, and the 7-day or longer itineraries provide enough time for a proper visit without rushing your walking day.
Ongoing Discoveries
Excavation continues at Vindolanda, and new tablets still appear. Each season brings fresh discoveries—new voices from the ancient frontier. The site remains one of the most productive Roman archaeological sites in Europe.
The tablets already discovered continue to yield information as scholars apply new technologies and interpretive methods. Infrared imaging has revealed text invisible to the naked eye. Digital analysis helps read damaged tablets.
Walking Through Their World
Reading about the tablets is one thing; walking the landscape they describe is another. When you follow the Wall path past Vindolanda, you're walking where Claudia Severa's husband commanded troops, where soldiers requested their warm socks, where centurions compiled their strength reports.
The tablets make the Wall personal. These weren't abstract historical forces—they were individuals with names, relationships, concerns, and pleasures. The birthday party was a real party. The socks were real socks against real cold. The inflammation of the eyes was real discomfort.
This is what walking Hadrian's Wall offers that no book or museum can match: physical connection to the places where these documents were written and read, where these lives were lived.
Experience the Tablets
Our walking packages pass Vindolanda on the route—the 8-day, 9-day, and 10-day options allow plenty of time for a proper site visit without rushing.
Contact us to plan your walk through the landscape of the Vindolanda tablets—the most intimate window into Roman Britain that exists.
