No abstract

Waterlogged burial conditions impact upon artefact preservation. One major determinant of preservation is presence and behaviour of microorganisms, however, unravelling the mechanisms, especially in waterlogged conditions is challenging. In this study, we analysed elemental composition, bacterial diversity and community structure from excavation trenches at the Roman Site of Vindolanda, Northumberland, UK, using pXRF and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Excavation trenches provide information of different occupation periods. The results indicated that microbial communities were dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria at a phylum level. Samples which also had visible vivianite presence showed that there were marked increases in Methylophilus. Methylophilus might be associated with favourable preservation in these anaerobic conditions. More research is needed to clearly link the presence of Methylophilus with vivianite production. The study emphasises the need for further integration of chemical and microbiome approaches, especially in good preservation areas, to explore microbial and chemical degradation mechanisms.

Museums have an ethical code of research and education, and 3D imaging has great potential in helping to achieve some of these objectives by providing accurate replications without barriers to access. Digital and printed models may remove object authenticity, but they do provide direct encounters with heritage and archaeological science whilst preserving the archaeological record. To demonstrate the potential for 3D imaging in archaeology and public engagement, this paper investigated an Ox cranium used for target practice at Vindolanda, Northumberland, UK. Vindolanda is a World Heritage Site on the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, known for its exceptional preservation of artefacts. The trauma type, shaping, impact direction and mortem period were identified, followed by comparisons and physical fits with weaponry used by the military at Vindolanda. The digital and printed models provide effective tools for displaying this evidence within the context of Roman archery to the public. The cranium had evidence of repeated target practice from arrows and potentially lances. The fragmentation of the trauma was angled internally, showing that the arrows were aimed from the front and toward the facial area of the Ox. The high-precision of the archers had separated the lower right portion of the facial area from the rest of the cranium. Several arrowhead sites and two lance head sites overlapped with little additional destruction, showing that some weapons were removed and retargeted. These features provide supporting evidence of individuals in the Roman military at Vindolanda actively participating in high-level archery target practice. The success of this pilot study will be developed to produce 3D models of the crania recovered from Vindolanda for the public to directly interact with this complex, contextual information for deep and effective learning.

Turf was widely used as a building material in the Roman period, especially in military architecture. Despite this, few studies have investigated properties of turf in construction, and fewer still have applied micromorphology to ancient turf walls. This study details the methods and results from a combined macro-and micro-scale analysis, using samples from the well-preserved ramparts at Vindolanda, a fort associated with Hadrian's Wall. Our work not only proposes a refined methodology for the wider geoarchaeological study of turf walls, but also provides new, deeper insight into the properties of turf as a building material.

The most recent work at Vindolanda has produced some startling results which both support and challenge our standing interpretations of some aspects of the frontier zone in Roman Britain. These include the timeline for the development of forts on the frontier, the foundation of extramural settlements and the relationship between fort and extramural settlement. The work raises questions not only about Vindolanda but more generally about the formation of the frontier itself and the interpretation of the archaeology of other sites.