Editing Vindolanda (section)

==Excavation==
In the 1930s, the house at Chesterholm where the museum is now located was purchased by archaeologist [[Eric Birley]], who was interested in excavating the site.  This became the family home of Eric and his wife [[Margaret Birley|Margaret "Peggy" Birley]], a student of Eric's at [[Newcastle University|Armstrong College]] who volunteered at the excavations at Vindolanda and Housestead, after she and Eric were married in 1934.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breeze |first=David J. |date=2021-06-28 |title=Peggy Birley - Trowelblazers |url=https://trowelblazers.com/2021/06/28/peggy-birley/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Trowelblazers |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Breeze |first=David J. |date=1996 |title=Eric Birley (1906-1995): Vice-President 1951-1995 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/527036 |journal=Britannia |volume=27 |pages=xi–xiv |issn=0068-113X}}</ref> The excavations have been continued by his sons, [[Robin Birley (archaeologist)|Robin]] and [[Anthony Birley|Anthony]], and his grandson, [[Andrew Birley]], and granddaughter-in-law [[Barbara Birley]] into the present day. They are undertaken each summer, and some of the archaeological deposits reach depths of {{convert|6|m}}. The [[hypoxia (environmental)|anoxic]] conditions at these depths have preserved thousands of artefacts, such as 850 ink tablets<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meyer |first=Alexander |date=2022 |title=Illuminating the Vindolanda Stylus Tablets |url=https://www.vindolanda.com/blog/vindolanda-stylus-tablets |access-date=26 October 2022 |website=Vindolanda Charitable Trust}}</ref> and over 160 boxwood combs,<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.11141/ia.42.6.6 | issue=42 | title=Keeping up Appearances on the Romano-British Frontier | year=2016 | journal=Internet Archaeology | last1 = Birley | first1 = Barbara| doi-access=free | author1-link=Barbara Birley }}</ref> that normally disintegrate in the ground,<ref group="note">The bacteria responsible for degrading organic matter require oxygen.</ref> thus providing an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of Roman life – military and otherwise – on the northern frontier. The study of these ink tablets shows a literacy among both the high born who lived there, as with the party invitation from one officer's wife to another<ref>{{Citation |title=Boyne, Sir Henry Brian, (Sir Harry), (29 July 1910–18 Sept. 1997), Political Correspondent, The Daily Telegraph, London, 1956–76 |date=2007-12-01 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u177073 |work=Who Was Who |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u177073 |access-date=2022-10-27}}</ref> and with soldiers and their families who send care packages with notes on the contents of the packages.<ref>{{Citation |title="Excavations at Vindolanda – the evidence for a Frontier constantly in transition" by Andrew Birley |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY-6QDWODLA |language=en |access-date=2022-10-27}}</ref>  A study of [[spindle whorl]]s from the north-western quadrant has indicated the presence of spinners of low- and high-status in the fort in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Alberti|first=Marta|date=2018-05-14|title=The Construction, Use, and Discard of Female Identities: Interpreting Spindle Whorls at Vindolanda and Corbridge|journal=Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal |language=en |volume=1|issue=1 |pages=2|doi=10.16995/traj.241 |issn=2515-2289|doi-access=free}}</ref> Along with ongoing excavations (in season) and excavated remains, a full-size replica of a section of [[Hadrian's Wall]], in both stone and turf, can be seen on the site.

Nearly 2000-year-old [[Roman Empire|Roman]] boxing gloves were uncovered at Vindolanda in 2017 by the Vindolanda Trust experts led by Dr [[Andrew Birley]]. According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', being similar in style and function to the full-hand modern boxing gloves, these two gloves found at Vindolanda look like leather bands and date back to 120 AD. It is suggested that, based on their difference from [[gladiator]] gloves, warriors using this type of gloves had no purpose to kill each other. These gloves were probably used in a sport for promoting fighting skills. The gloves are currently displayed at Vindolanda's museum. According to Birley, they are not part of a matching pair:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-43120942|title='Astonishing' Roman boxing gloves found|date=2018-02-20|access-date=2019-08-19|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/19/rare-roman-boxing-gloves-found-hadrians-wall|title=Rare Roman boxing gloves found near Hadrian's Wall|last=Alberge|first=Dalya|date=2018-02-19|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-08-19|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/found-boxing-gloves-from-2000-years-ago|title=Found: A Pair of Boxing Gloves From 2,000 Years Ago|last=Traverso|first=Vittoria|date=2018-02-20|website=Atlas Obscura|language=en|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-roman-boxing-gloves-discovered-northern-england-vindolanda-813641|title=2,000-year-old Roman boxing gloves were discovered in England|last=EST|first=Sydney Pereira on 2/20/18 at 3:04 PM|date=2018-02-20|website=Newsweek|language=en|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/vindolanda-boxing-gloves-05853.html|title=1,900-Year-Old Boxing 'Gloves' Unearthed at Vindolanda {{!}} Archaeology {{!}} Sci-News.com|website=Breaking Science News {{!}} Sci-News.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/photo-beautifully-persevered-ancient-roman-boxing-gloves-unearthed-uk-1/|title=PHOTO {{!}} Beautifully preserved Ancient Roman boxing gloves unearthed in UK {{!}} BJPenn.com|last=Taylor|first=Tom|date=2018-02-20|website={{!}} BJPenn.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/history/roman-boxing-gloves-14312805|title="Astonishing" Roman boxing gloves found near Hadrian's Wall|last=Gibbons|first=Duncan|date=2018-02-20|website=coventrytelegraph|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/315842/pair-of-ancient-roman-boxing-gloves-unearthed|title=Pair of ancient Roman boxing gloves unearthed – Unexplained Mysteries|website=unexplained-mysteries.com|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/knock-out-find-roman-boxing-14311448|title=Knock out as Roman boxing gloves are discovered in North East|last=Henderson|first=Tony|date=2018-02-20|website=nechronicle|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=The larger of the two gloves is cut from a single piece of leather and was folded into a pouch configuration, the extending leather at each side were slotted into one another forming a complete oval shape creating an inner hole into which a hand could still easily be inserted. The glove was packed with natural material acting as a shock absorber.|sign=|source=}}Recent excavations have been accompanied by new archaeological methodologies. [[3D reconstruction|3-D imaging]] has been used to investigate the use of an ox cranium in target practice.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Williams|first1=Rhys|last2=Thompson|first2=Tim|last3=Orr|first3=Caroline|last4=Birley|first4=Andrew|last5=Taylor|first5=Gillian|date=2019-06-21|title=3D Imaging as a Public Engagement Tool: Investigating an Ox Cranium Used in Target Practice at Vindolanda|journal=Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=2|doi=10.16995/traj.364|issn=2515-2289|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In 2021, a carved sandstone artifact was discovered a few inches below the floor of the fort. It depicts a nude warrior or deity before a horse or similar animal. Early interpretations point to the figure being of a Roman deity, perhaps of Mars or Mercury.<ref>Davis-Marks, Isis, ''[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-uncover-strange-carving-naked-man-roman-fort-180978146/ Rare Carving of Nude Horseman Found at Roman Fort May Depict Mercury or Mars]'', Smithsonian, 13 July 2021</ref>

In February 2023, a 2,000 year-old disembodied {{convert|6.3|inch|adj=on}} long wooden [[dildo|phallus]] toy was revealed, according to the research published in the journal [[Antiquity (journal)|''Antiquity'']].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Collins |first1=Rob |last2=Sands |first2=Rob |date=2023-02-20 |title=Touch wood: luck, protection, power or pleasure? A wooden phallus from Vindolanda Roman fort |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/touch-wood-luck-protection-power-or-pleasure-a-wooden-phallus-from-vindolanda-roman-fort/53F4B0838D23DB65F6A244695624102E |journal=Antiquity |volume=97 |issue=392 |language=en |pages=419–435 |doi=10.15184/aqy.2023.11 |s2cid=257069682 |issn=0003-598X|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Orie |first=Amarachi |date=2023-02-20 |title=Wooden object nearly 2,000 years old suggests Romans used sex toys, study says |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/20/world/roman-wooden-phallus-sex-object-intl-scli-scn/index.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>