Vindolanda: archaeologist discovers 500 letters from the Roman Empire
The Roman conquest of Britain began around 2,000 years ago. For 400 years, the Imperial Army has made its way north through England, securing swathes of land. Countless native Celtic tribes were destroyed in the process, with many historic battles and uprisings taking place including the Boudica Revolt in 60 AD.
A myriad of vestiges of the battles have been found in places where the Romans set up military barracks.
At Vindolanda in Hexham, Northumberland, a whole museum houses a number of Roman artefacts, many of which were used in combat.
The pieces were explored during the History Hit documentary, “Vindolanda: Jewel of the North”.
Vindolanda was first and foremost a military site and therefore evidence of war has been uncovered over the years.
Vindolanda: The site was mainly used as a military barracks (Image: PA)
Hadrian’s Wall: The 73-mile structure is another feat of Roman construction (Image: PA)
Among the finds are ballista bolts, spears, wooden training swords and slingshots.
Victims of the conflict were also found, including devastated bone fragments and a cracked and broken skull.
The museum contains not only Roman weapons, but also the armor with which they protected themselves.
A striking feature of the armor is its glamor: brilliant bronzes and deep coppery colors, often with artistic emblems and engravings pressed into the outer shells.
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Roma armor: the site donated a myriad of pieces of ancient armor used in combat (Image: Hit Story)
Dr Andrew Birley, Vindolana’s excavation director, spoke of a technique the Romans used to instill fear in their opponents before they even went to the battlefield.
He explained how the soldiers decorated their horses with shining chamfron as a means of sowing terror on the native Celts.
He said: “We think the Romans are very decorative, of course the cavalry is always blingy too.
“It’s probably the kind of headers on a parade or maneuver.
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Roman Empire: one of the museum’s most valuable possessions is a highly decorated chamfron (Image: Hit Story)
Ancient England: the Romans would have used the headdresses to sow terror among the Celts (Image: Hit Story)
“But of course, horses have to be armored as well as men to be able to survive in this environment.
“Part of the process of the Roman army in terms of image and protection of power is to be very blingy, very face.
“Almost like the red coats in the sense that you could see them coming up the side of the hill from miles away.
“And so not just the soldiers, but the horses too would glow and sparkle in the light because of all the bronze and copper alloy that’s attached to their armor.”
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Later, Dr Birley talked about the “basic” stuff and how even thin, decorative pieces of armor received intense attention.
He said: “Even the belts and harness buckles, they’re all really shiny too.
“So you can still imagine this very bright and dazzling force coming over the hills and very loud, because all this stuff is shaking and shaking.
“You could hear a Roman army and see a Roman army from afar.”
Roman heritage: The Romans left a strong legacy in the UK that survives today (Image: GETTY)
The Roman presence in Britain gradually faded from AD 370.
Each outpost in the country has left at different times.
The soldiers left for Rome which was then under attack.
Britain then fell into chaos with native tribes and foreign invaders fighting for power.
There was a great spread of Angles, Saxons and Franks after the Romans left.
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This notice was published: 2021-04-27 19:29:12
