It's the Ancient's on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes your host and in today's podcast

where I was another special one because a few months back I was fortunate enough to head

north and visit Hadrian's Wall and visit several sites along Hadrian's Wall. And during

that journey I went down a couple of miles south of the wall to visit one of the most remarkable

ancient sites, not just in Britain, but in the whole of Europe in my humble opinion.

This is Vindaland. Home of the famous Vindaland tablets but also an array of other incredible

objects dating to the Roman period and indeed post-dating the Roman period. We're going

into the early Middle Ages too. Now at the site I met up with the legend that is Dr Andrew

Burley, head of excavations at Vindaland the head honcho. He's a brilliant speaker and

he first showed me around the site of Vindaland, the Roman Forts and its occupation after

the Romans left and we then went into the Vindaland museum itself to have a look at some

of the most incredible objects on display including some of their most recent discoveries

in a Christian part of the site. So that further ado here's Andrew.

So Andrew we're outside at Vindaland itself. We are indeed, yet we're at the site. And

first of all geographically where is Vindaland in regards to Hadrian's Wall?

Well it's part of Hadrian's Wall but in terms of the Curtain Wall the big barrier were

about a mile behind the Curtain Wall of Hadrian's Wall. So the reason for that is we're on the

original Frontier Highway, the Frontier Road, the Staingate Road which was here 40-50 years

before Hadrian's Wall was built. So Vindaland actually predates the construction of Hadrian's

Wall? It wasn't even a twinkle in Hadrian's eye. In fact Hadrian didn't exist when this

place was put into action in about 85 AD. And why do we think it was built in around 85 AD?

Well the Romans are consolidating after they've been withdrawing from Northern Britain

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