Latest news with #Birley
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Victory goddess sandstone carving found in rubble
A sandstone carving, believed to date back to around 213AD and represent the Roman goddess of victory, has been discovered near Hadrian's Wall. Dubbed "incredibly significant" by experts, it was uncovered by volunteers in a reused pile of rubble above infantry barracks at the Vindolanda Roman settlement in Hexham, Northumberland. Victory, known in Latin as Victoria, was revered by the ancient Romans during times of war and was often credited for battlefield success. Jim and Dilys Quinlan, from Merseyside, were in their 21st year of volunteering at the site when they made the discovery. Excavation work is carried out annually at the Roman settlement and the couple found the artefact on 1 May. "It was something really special," said Mrs Quinlan, who confessed to having fallen in love with volunteering at the site almost immediately. "By the end of our first week there, we both had to be dragged away. "We love the team work and that feeling you're part of something much greater than yourself." Dr Andrew Birley, director of excavations for the Vindolanda Trust, said the find was the couple's "reward for 21 years of hard work and dedication". The stone is thought to be one side of a much larger relief which would have framed an inscription in its centre. It would have represented the end of Severan wars and the establishment of the fort at the site in the 3rd Century, Vindolanda said. Dr Birley said symbolism would have been a vital part of the culture for the soldiers there almost 2,000 years ago. The trust's curator, Barbara Birley, said it was "highly likely" the stone would have been brightly painted. The team will work with specialists to see if any traces of the pigment remain. "For now, the relief is being stored unwashed ready for that further analysis," Ms Birley said. The carving is set to go on public display in early 2026 at the Vindolanda museum. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Thief 'dropped' 16th Century coin plundering fort Scheme to help young people dig at Roman site opens Chalice pieces discovered in 'wow factor' find Vindolanda
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Lost penis pendant found inside Roman wall in UK. See phallic good luck charm
Hadrian's Wall — a 73-mile construction across northern Britain that marked the frontier of the Roman Empire — is no stranger to penis imagery. The nearly 2,000-year-old example of Roman engineering is covered in penile carvings, thanks to the ancient citizens and soldiers leaving their marks, the Vindolanda Charitable Trust said. Nearly five dozen phalli have been found along the wall and at military installations, according to Heritage Daily, including at the Vindolanda Fort along the wall in Hexham, England. Now, another phallic-shaped art piece has been discovered, this time for a more personal use. A small, carved penis pendant was found in Vindolanda on April 25, the Vindolanda National Trust told McClatchy News in an email. 'It was found dropped into the rubble fill or core of a stone wall. Quite (possibly) dropped there by the soldier or mason who built the wall,' Andrew Birley, archaeologist and director of excavations at Vindolanda, told McClatchy News. 'Wall building is hard manual work and all manner of personal items find their way into wall cores because they get knocked or dropped by their owners,' Birley said. 'In the past we have found belt buckles, rings, pottery and other items in wall cores.' It was found in a barrack wall dated to the early fourth century, Birley said, making the piece around 1,700 years old. The pendant was made from jet, a type of lignite gemstone or the lowest rank of coal, the archaeologist said. 'Jet is increasingly common as a material used for (jewelry) from the early third century onwards and small good luck charms or pendants like these would have been worn by many of the soldiers at places like Vindolanda,' Birley said. This particular penis would have been worn as a pendant, likely around the neck instead of being carried, according to Birley. Jet feels warm to the touch, so it was likely kept close to the skin. The pendant is small but 'rather fine,' Birley said, likely 'made by a skilled artisan rather than someone unused to working in that material' and could have been worn by a soldier or someone else in the community. 'You can see that the pendant is quite smooth, not just because of the material used but also no doubt because the wearer touched the charm for good luck,' Birley said. The charm adds to the growing collection of phallus imagery at the site, a practice Birley said both men and women participated in. While uncovering rubble in 2022, a volunteer discovered a stone face with a carved phallus and letters, believed to be inscribed as a personal insult, according to the trust. In 2024, researchers found another carving of a penis, this time in a stone on the ground and considered a message of good luck from soldier to soldier, McClatchy News reported. The year previous, archaeologists uncovered a large wooden phallus in a ditch at Vindolanda, first thought to be a knitting tool, McClatchy News reported. Later investigation revealed it instead could have been part of a statue, a pestle or, alternatively, a sex toy. Vindolanda is located in Hexham in north-central England.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Amateur archaeologists unearth winged goddess at Hadrian's Wall
A striking Roman depiction of the winged goddess of victory has been discovered near Hadrian's Wall by volunteers helping archaeologists on an official excavation. The stone relief was found by a Merseyside couple at Vindolanda, the site of the important Roman fort near Hexham, Northumberland. Dilys Quinlan, 69, works in healthcare, while her husband, Jim, 68, is an engineer with Liverpool city council. This season marks their 21st year as volunteers at Vindolanda, regularly travelling from their home near Liverpool to assist archaeologists at the site. To their excitement, they spotted the stone relief in rubble that they were clearing above the site's infantry barracks. Dilys said: 'We've spent the vast majority of our annual leave at Vindolanda over the years. As veteran diggers, it is without doubt the most wonderful thing we've ever done and, importantly, it's something we do as a couple. 'It's the best form of relaxation that we know of. We eat well, sleep well, we're in good company and there's always more to learn. What more could you ask for?' Dr Andrew Birley, the director of excavations at Vindolanda, said: 'For our volunteers to find things like this is just simply beyond wonderful because they put so much work and dedication into the site. 'There is that sense of palpable excitement when you turn over the 2,000th piece of Roman rubble and you see on the other side the face of a goddess staring right back at you. What you get there is a direct connection. It's almost like you're touching the past and all those years melt away, which is just wonderful. As archaeologists, as volunteers who dedicate so much time, we do this for these moments.' He spoke of the public's insatiable interest in archaeology: 'When we open the applications for [volunteers] to join the excavations, we fill up in about a minute. It's ridiculous. It's a mini version of Glastonbury. 'I feel terrible because we probably get four or five thousand people who want to join us and we can only take five hundred … You're actually a participant and, when you make discoveries like this, you're writing yourself into the history of archeology in Britain.' Rob Collins, a professor of Frontier Archaeology at Newcastle University, has identified the figure as Victory, the personification of victory in Roman religion and mythology, revered during times of war and often credited for battlefield success. Birley said these particular barracks at Vindolanda were built at the end of a tumultuous time for the Romans in Britain, in about AD213, just after the Severan wars. The 47cm-tall carving is thought to have symbolised the ends of the wars and to have been part of a much bigger relief. The barracks were once adorned with a large ornamental arch and gate. Birley said: 'The beautifully carved figure vividly reminds us that Roman forts were not simply utilitarian. They had grandeur and of course the symbolism was a vital part of the culture here for the soldiers almost 2,000 years ago.' Related: London's first Roman basilica found under office block Volunteers do everything from site recording to physical excavations. Asked whether they wished they had become professional archaeologists, Dilys said: 'We're very interested in history, particularly Greek and Roman … But no, we're happy with the public service work that we do. Archaeology for us is a really great hobby. 'We feel very much part of the Vindolanda 'family', playing our small part in adding to the knowledge base of life on the frontier, but importantly, above all else, being part of something that is greater than yourself.' The Vindolanda charitable trust has been accepting volunteers on to its excavations since its foundation in 1970. Birley's archaeologist father, Robin, headed the team that discovered the Vindolanda writing tablets in 1973. The handwritten wooden notes revealed first-hand information from the people who lived at the site 2,000 years ago. The stone relief of Victory will go on public display in early 2026 at the Vindolanda Museum as part of an exhibition of recent discoveries.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists uncover a 'wonderful' 1-inch penis pendant at a Roman fort in Northumberland - and say it was probably a good luck charm for a soldier
Archaeologists have uncovered a 'wonderful' penis pendant at Vindolanda, the historic Roman fort in Northumberland. Measuring less than an inch, the jet black charm was likely handcrafted in the fourth century AD, about 300 years after the Romans invaded Britain. At Vindolanda, small, portable phalli made of bone or metal were commonly worn as pendants around the neck, to ward off evil and aid fertility. According to experts, this particular object's smooth surface suggests the owner touched it often for good luck. Dr Andrew Birley, director of excavations at the Vindolanda Charitable Trust, called it a 'wonderful little artefact'. 'This little jet pendant was lost at sometime in the early 4th century when the barrack wall in which it was found was constructed,' he said. Vindolanda Charitable Trust posted the find to its Facebook page, where it was met with some hilarious comments. 'Well, so much for size not mattering,' one person said, while another posted: 'That's 6' honestly!' It was uncovered last Friday (April 25) by one of the volunteers joining Vindolanda Charitable Trust for ongoing excavations. It is now at an on-site laboratory where it will be cleaned before going being researched further and going on public display at Vindolanda in 2026. Just under an inch (2.5cm) in length, the phallic charm was constructed out of jet, a dark, semi-precious gemstone. Jet became increasingly common as a material used for jewellery from the early third century onwards, according to Dr Birley. 'Small good luck charms or pendants like these would have been worn by many of the soldiers at places like Vindolanda,' he said. 'I have no doubt that this is just the start of many more discoveries to come from Vindolanda this year.' Vindolanda Roman Fort was under Roman occupation roughly between 85 AD and 370 AD, archaeological excavations already show. We also know that phallic symbols were used widely across the Roman Empire as a way to protect against bad luck and ward off evil. The phallus: An image of strength and virility Phallic emblems are found on a wide range of Roman objects, from amulets to frescoes to mosaics to lamps. They were symbols intended to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. As the ancient author Pliny attests, even babies and soldiers wore such charms to invite divine protection. Source: Met Museum Small phalli carved from bone or crafted from metal were commonly worn as pedants, while homes were often decorated with frescoes or mosaics featuring phalli. It's not the first time phallic objects have been found at Vindolanda, which is also known for its collection of ancient writing tablets. Back in 2023, researchers revealed a much larger artefact made of wood which may have been used for more than just warding off evil. Both ends of this particular object were noticeably smoother, indicating 'repeated contact over time' possibly in a sexual context. Alternatively, it may have been used as a pestle to grind ingredients for cosmetics or medicines. Another possibility is it was slotted into a statue which passers-by would've touched for good luck or to absorb or get protection from misfortune – common throughout the Roman Empire. Ancient Roman graffiti at Vindolanda also includes phallic engravings along with insulting text calling someone a 's***ter'. Researchers discovered a large phallus and an inscription which brands a Roman soldier called Secundinus a 's***ter' at the historic site, dating back 1,700 years Previously, archaeologists found a handwritten birthday invitation at Vindolanda where one woman invited her 'dearest sister' to join her. Today, Vindolanda is somewhat less famous than Hadrian's Wall, the former defensive fortification begun in AD 122 during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Although first built by the Roman army before Hadrian's Wall, Vindolanda became the wall's construction and garrison base. Experts think Vindolanda was demolished and completely re-built no fewer than nine times, each rebuild leaving a distinctive mark on the landscape. Vindolanda's archaeological site and museum, which houses many of its discovered artefacts, is open to the public seven days a week. WHAT IS VINDOLANDA AND WHAT WAS ITS ROLE IN ROMAN BRITAIN? Vindolanda is a Roman fort south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Soldiers stationed there guarded the Roman road from the River Tyne to Solway Firth. Wooden tablets were discovered there which are considered the most important examples of military and private correspondence found anywhere in the Roman Empire. The garrison was home to auxiliary infantry and cavalry units - not parts of Roman legions. Roman boots, shoes, armours, jewellery, coins and tablets have all been found there. In 2006, a richly-decorated silver brooch featuring the figure of Mars was found. It belonged to Quintus Sollonius, a Gaul, whose name was inscribed on the brooch.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Counterfeit goods worth £370,000 seized
Almost £400,000 worth of counterfeit goods have been seized, including vapes and headphones. According to South Yorkshire Police, about £370,000 worth of electronic devices, counterfeit vapes, vape liquids and cartridges were discovered after an inspection of a business in Rotherham. Insp Darren Birley said the counterfeit vapes could have posed a health risk to users and were undercutting legitimate businesses. He said: "Information provided by members of the public is vital in helping us gather intelligence, carry out inspections and execute warrants." Rotherham South Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out the joint operation in Dinnington with Rotherham Council's Trading Standards Team on 5 March, following information reported by members of the public. Insp Birley said the ongoing work was focused on ensuring the safety of local communities. He added: "Working together on the issues that matter the most to local communities is what pushes us to achieve results like these. "The hard work does not stop, and we will continue to focus on this issue." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Alert over potentially deadly counterfeit vodka Shop loses licence after counterfeit goods found South Yorkshire Police
