Vindolanda Tablets

What it is

The Vindolanda tablets are thin wooden leaf-tablets written in ink, found at the Roman fort of Vindolanda in northern England. Discovered by archaeologists in 1973, most of the surviving tablets date to the years around 95–105 AD and are now held mainly in the British Museum.

Why it matters

The tablets record official army business and personal letters among soldiers, officers such as Flavius Cerialis, their families and households, during the early years of Trajan's reign. They give a rare, direct glimpse into everyday life on the empire's northern frontier that Trajan ruled, including one of the oldest surviving documents written in Latin by a woman.

Look closer

• What kinds of everyday details do these tablets record that a stone inscription never would?
• Why do you think so few handwritten documents like these have survived from the Roman period?
• What does the mix of official and personal letters tell you about life in a frontier fort?