The 2010 archaeological excavation season at the world famous Hadrian’s Wall site of Vindolanda will start (weather permitting) on Easter Sunday.

Applications from volunteers for the 2010 season have been at an unprecedented level. Over 90% of the 550 places available places were booked within just 2 weeks after the applications opened on 1st November 2009 and all were booked by the start of 2010. Excavation volunteers come from all walks of life, from professionals and students with an academic interest in archaeology to those who just want to experience taking part in an excavation. Volunteers travel from all over the UK and Europe and this year a number of individuals are travelling from the USA, Australia and New Zealand to take part.

Excavations will be taking place both inside and outside the walls of the fort to continue the work of the previous year and, if 2009 was an indication of what may be uncovered, we can expect another fascinating year of archaeology at Vindolanda.

Excavations will be in progress at Vindolanda 7 days a week (weather permitting) from Easter Sunday 4th April 2010 until Thursday 16th September 2010 (except 9th & 10th April, 4th & 5th July, 27th & 28th August and 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th September). Visitors are encouraged to come along as see our excavation volunteers at work and to chat to them about what they are doing and what they have been finding.

The Vindolanda Trust’s sister site, The Roman Army Museum, at Greenhead, now features a wonderful temporary exhibition about Hadrian and life on the Roman Frontier of Hadrian’s Wall. The exhibition , which will run from April to October, is housed in the newly refurbished lower section of the museum and includes a superb graphic display covering different aspects of Roman life as well as the Emperor Hadrian and Hadrian’s Wall. This is all enhanced and illustrated by artefacts from the Vindolanda collection and a range of life sized figures and full size replica chariots. The Eagle’s Eye film, always a highlight for all visitors to the Roman Army Museum, lets visitors fly with an eagle along the line of Hadrian’s Wall from the Roman Army Museum to Crag Lough, before turning south to Vindolanda. This aerial tour gives a wonderful view of Hadrian’s Wall as it is today. Once you reach Vindolanda the site is reconstructed using computer graphics and you fly back along the Wall as it was in Roman times, really bringing it all to life!

Vindolanda & The Roman Army Museum are both open 7 days a week from 10am and full details can be found at www.vindolanda.com

Supplementary Excavation Information
Inside the fort
The excavations inside the last stone fort at Vindolanda will continue to explore the very last periods of occupation on the site from the 4th century to post Roman. The excavation area of 2009 (displaying 4th century shops, houses, workshops and yards) will be lowered from the 4th century levels to examine the earlier 3rd century barracks which are situated directly below the remains of the 4th century buildings. This will be achieved by lifting the floors of the 4th century structures whilst carefully retaining the framework of the buildings themselves which are to be preserved for future consolidation and display. The trenches will extend further to the east of the 2009 area to include the main road running from the north gate of the fort to the headquarters building. It is hoped that this road remains largely intact and will offer further evidence of 4th century commercial activity within the walls of the fort.

Outside the walls of the last stone fort
The 2010 excavation of this area will continue to build on research surrounding the extramural garrison settlement. The buildings situated outside the 3rd century fort walls will be examined to establish their size, form and probable use. It is expected that various houses, shops, workshops, and perhaps religious buildings, will be identified. This data will allow us to identify potentially different zones of use, as well as establishing when the settlement was finally abandoned. Ultimately the information gathered from the excavation will tie in with research conducted inside the fort to establish the extent and nature of the divide between the military fort and its associated extramural garrison settlement outside the fort walls.

Andrew Birley – Director of Excavations

ENDS

For further enquiries contact Fiona Watson- Information Officer on 01434 344 277 or fionawatson@vindolanda.com