Archaeologists find shoe, finger ring and whorl in "extremely dirty" conditions at Roman fort

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Dirty, wet but rewarding work allows archaeologists to find "remarkable" Roman artefacts south of Hadrian's Wall

A finger ring with a jet stone, knives, dozens of pot lids and a bone spindle whorl described as “rather lovely” have been found at Vindolanda, the Hadrian’s Wall fort where archaeologists discovered a carving to the Roman goddess of the hunt during their first excavations of the year.

Two “smashing” teams have kept their spirits high under unpredictable skies in Northumberland, focusing on uncovering the west side of a road laid in 213.

“The structures surrounding the road have started to become more clearly defined,” says Andrew Birley, the Director of Excavations. “The experience of walking down a road rather than in field of rubble has changed this area completely.

“Work has continued to take place linking the top of the street to the back of the headquarters building.

“In a few months visitors to the site will be able to experience for themselves what it feels like to walk along the back of the Headquarters building, straight onto the last Roman street level. This is a walk no-one has been able to take for almost 1,600 years.”

Bashed 4th century pottery has also been found at a site where 19 writing tablets were found last year. The diggers have occasionally had to hold their noses.

“The weeds have been cleared out and work continues here down into the pre-Hadrianic forts,” says Birley.

“It is extremely dirty and wet work but it has its rewards. Some of last year’s trenches, which are now completed, will be immediately backfilled.

“The barracks, possible headquarters building, workshops and, fingers crossed, toilet, will reveal themselves.

“The team has assembled to pump out the thousands of gallons of water that filled the trenches during the winter.”

Birley believes that more tablets will emerge, as well as further “remarkable” artefacts preserved by the oxygen-free, organic conditions. Hundreds of shoes are expected to have been found by the end of the summer.

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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art527023-archaeologists-find-shoe-finger-ring-and-whorl-in-extremely-dirty-conditions-at-roman-fort