By Philipp Elschner (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz student research placement)

As part of the practicum element of the Master’s programme at the University of Mainz—a placement-based component that gives students the opportunity to apply their academic learning in a professional setting—two students have been documenting their experience of conducting research with the Vindolanda Trust. Their tutor, Dr Catherine Teitz, has carried out research on the Eric Birley Archive and has published work exploring its significance. You can read some of her previous blogs here.

Studying the past is like looking at an old warehouse. People have all sorts of ideas about what it contains, but we cannot just go inside and have a look around, as much as we would like to. Surviving texts from ancient eras as well as surviving artefacts give us a little bit of insight into what used to be. They act like small windows in the warehouse, allowing us to have a peek into the past from a certain angle, but they don’t give us the whole picture. That’s why both ancient history and archaeology are so important, as they allow us to better understand these limited opportunities and how to interpret them.

Here at the Vindolanda Trust, you can see the physical evidence, recovered by archaeologists and preserved by the conservators, displayed by the curators and presented by the friendly museum staff. With all the variety and the sheer volume of finds on display, you can get a pretty decent picture of what life might have looked like all these years ago. 

But there are also additional stories from the past that usually get brushed over fairly quickly: The life and work of the archaeologists who’ve come before us and helped lay the groundwork for everything happening both on site and at the museum today. 

In the recently established archives at Vindolanda, I received a great deal of insight not only in the work and archaeological aspects of the past, allowing me to compare them to our modus operandi and points of view today, but also into the lives of the archaeologists as people and the vast network of connections they maintained. A whole lot of the documents and offprints in the Eric Birley Archive have very personal greetings and dedications on them, whether as the authors way of honouring and acknowledging Birley as a great figure in the archaeological community or a friend’s way of expressing a loving connection and bonding over a topic they share so much passion for.

The sheer number of prominent and respected members of the scientific community sending their kind regards really goes a long way to show Birley’s place and status as an archaeologist. As an archaeology student from Germany, it was fascinating to see how much correspondence he had with his overseas colleagues. They sent him special offprints of his own work, published in a German journal, or their own work about the Romano British frontier that he certainly would find interesting. 

All in all, I really enjoyed my stay here at Vindolanda and the research in its archive. The beautiful landscape, dotted with ancient monuments and farmhouses alike, has this unique gloomy charm to it. All the people I have met have been exceptionally friendly and helpful, especially with questions I had. It is a place I can highly recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to come here and learn about the past; you would meet both the ancient Romans and their monuments as well as all the fine people of the Vindolanda Trust who have dedicated their lives to uncover the past and prepare it for everyone to enjoy.