DARK SECRETS: Vindolanda gpe | Rare Historical Photos

In 1973, archaeologists in a muddy Roman fort trench found thin wooden tablets, and Vindolanda gave Roman Britain its own handwriting

People usually picture stone walls, military forts, crumbling ruins, and the remains of an empire that announced itself through architecture and engineering when they imagine Roman Britain. What they rarely imagine is handwriting; yet one of the most important discoveries ever made along Hadrian’s Wall was not a monument or…

The Economic Times · Jun 10

Diarrhea and stomachaches plagued Roman soldiers stationed at Hadrian's Wall, discovery of microscopic parasites finds

Analysis of latrine sediments at the Roman fort of Vindolanda has revealed that at least three parasites were widespread among Roman soldiers.

LiveScience · Dec 19, 2025

Hadrian's Wall: The defensive Roman wall that protected the frontier in Britain for 300 years

The wall is the largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain and was built to defend the northernmost limit of the Roman Empire.

LiveScience · Aug 4, 2025

50 years of the Vindolanda Tablets, the archaeological treasure found in Northumberland

It was 50 years ago that the first of almost 2,000 ancient writing tablets from Northumberland’s Roman days was unearthed. Tony Henderson dips into the archive from the distant past.

Chronicle Live · Mar 9, 2023

Ancient Romans May Have Used Wooden Dildos, Researchers Say

Phallic objects were common in the Roman empire, but this wooden penis may have been used for sex -- or possibly something else.

Inverse · Feb 23, 2023

Roman dildo could have been made by shoemakers – an expert in ancient prosthetics explains

In 1992, archaeologists excavating at the site of the Roman fort of Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland discovered what they thought was a darning tool. The artefact was subsequently ignored and as a result remained unresearched. Until now.

The Conversation · Feb 22, 2023

Discarded darning tool found in fort on Hadrian's Wall is actually 'Roman sex toy'

Experts think this wooden object could be the first known example of a wooden phallus recovered anywhere in the Roman world

Chronicle Live · Feb 20, 2023

Roman-era object discovered in 1992 was actually ancient dildo, experts believe

The smooth, wooden object was discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda

Evening Standard · Feb 20, 2023

Roman dildo discovered as experts re-examine wooden phallus found near Hadrian's Wall

The two-thousand-year-old object discovered in a Northumberland ditch in the Roman fort of Vindolanda back in 1992 was originally catalogued as a darning tool

Daily Mirror · Feb 20, 2023

It’s not a darning tool, it’s a very naughty toy: Roman dildo found

Two thousand-year-old object found at Roman fort in Northumberland in 1992 has been reassessed by archaeologists

The Guardian - UK · Feb 20, 2023