Working with and for the Vindolanda Trust is always such a pleasure and great opportunity
to meet people from all over the world, from different walks of life but share the common
bond of love for the Roman world. My week spent in the company of my colleagues from the
Roman Society proved no exception. We were all warmly welcomed, supported and
encouraged in our endeavours by Dr Birley and his team, Marta, Lauren and Graham in what
proved to be an amazing week. The weather gods certainly smiled upon us which enabled us
to make good progress in the ‘vicus’ area of the site. Actually the team, whilst working
within the confines of the stone wall foundations of three strip houses within the later civilian
settlement, were working deep enough to uncover levels within an earlier military installation
when the fort was timber-built, much larger and ranged east/west, rather than its later
incarnation that visitors see, built of stone and ranged north/south. This afforded the team the
opportunity to work within those anaerobic levels for which Vindolanda is famous and we
were delighted to recover a great range of artefacts which included wood and leather and
features that would have been lost in most other conditions. The work was physically
demanding and required great care but the Trust’s team were always there to assist and
advise. The most delightful and fun week for the Society’s members. I hope that the Society’s
team were able to further the work of the Vindolanda Trust work in some small way.
Lisa Venables