Live excavation work ongoing at the Roman Fort site at Vindolanda, Bardon Mill. Northumberland. SCO 8639
The garrison were auxiliary infantry or cavalry units, not components of Roman legions. From the early third century AD onwards, this was the Fourth Cohort of Gauls. It had been presumed that this title was by this time purely nominal, with auxiliary troops being recruited locally, but an inscription found in a recent season of excavations suggests that native Gauls were still to be found in the regiment and that they liked to distinguish themselves from British soldiers. The inscription reads: CIVES GALLI DE GALLIAE CONCORDES QUE BRITANNI A free translation of this is "The troops from Gaul dedicate this statue to the goddess Gallia with the full support of the British-born troops". A vicus, a self-governing village, developed to the west of the fort. The vicus contains several rows of buildings, each containing several one-room chambers. Most are not connected to the existing drainage system. The one that does was perhaps a butchery where, for health reasons, an efficient drain would have been important. A stone altar found in 1914 (and exhibited in the museum) proves that the settlement was officially a vicus, and that it was named Vindolanda. To the south of the fort is a large Roman bath. The later stone fort, and the adjoining village, remained in use until about 285 AD, when it was largely abandoned for some reason
Size: 6063px × 4035px
Location: Vindolanda, Bardon Mill. Northumberland. England. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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