Pertinax

not one of my images-I will replace with one of my own-this is for Lacertus to identify the plant. Lacertus if you google for "borage beer" or possibly "cool draft" you should get some brief info about the role of this plant (very rich in magnesium and linoleic acid) as a pre-combat drink. The herb (as an oil extract) is most suitable for those subjected to prolonged stress. the Pyrrolizidine Alkoloids are present in very small quantities-but the fresh herb can have a considerably higher amount-hence the status of the plant for pre-combat drinking. Borage was sometimes called Bugloss by the old herbalists, a name that properly belongs to Anchusa officinalis, the Alkanet, the Small Bugloss being Lycopsis arvensis, and Viper's Bugloss being the popular name for Echium vulgare. Some authorities consider that the Latin name Borago, from which our popular name is taken, is a corruption of corago, from cor, the heart, and ago, I bring, because of its cordial effect. In all the countries bordering the Mediterranean, where it is plentiful, it is spelt with a double 'r,' so the word may be derived from the Italian borra, French bourra, signifying hair or wool, words which in their turn are derived from the Low Latin burra, a flock of wool, in reference to the thick covering of short hairs which clothes the whole plant.

a wide range of relics.Sammian ware is in evidence.

quite a range!

apart from the terrain , utilised as a strategic tool, why Vindolanda as an initial Flavian base? plentiful water all year is the answer, here we see the sluice gate of one of several wells.

out of sequence here -but to be rectified in the report gallery-we move westward again away from vercovicium , the harshness of the crags is well shown. Quarrying was not an issue on this stretch of the Wall.

I apologise for the quality -the lighting was hard through glass -this is for Lacertus' particular project. The home is that of a Bataviian Auxiliary trooper and his family.

again we see a sub floor designed for hot air/steam to circulate and heat a room in the Commander's Residence ,this time at Vindolanda.

from the people of Vindolanda

handy eh?

modern textiles woven and dyed in best approximation of known finds Lichen ,madder and rusty nails are the key colourants here-alum and urine are needed as mordant and fixative. Madder is interesting as a similar colour can, in certain circumstances , be achieved by using ox's blood diluted with lime, rose madder is usually a cloth dye , madder as a "blood " colour usually a house paint. Lacertus please note the woven check favoured by the Celts.

" now listen Son , if you get posted to Vindolanda -you watch out for that Claudius Maximus the Decurion right? I know a bloke played dice with him and seven times out of ten he threw a six! No , im not having you on lad-this friend reckons the dice are loaded-and he lost all his beer money for a week,( I know its only that local stuff with borage in but its ok). But like hes Decurion so you got to go easy eh? I bet one day someone'll find them dice. Give me some more of that Batavian beer ...." of course someone did find the loaded dice...and here they are...

Tablet and stylus-what all the fuss is about!

A heated room in the house of the Commander, notice the site has considerable changes of level.We are looking downslope , away from the Wall toward the Vallum.

the latrines at Vercovicium!

this is the section of Wall immediatley adjacent to Vircovicium -here you are actually on the remains of the Wall. To your left is a sheer drop down a crag face.Dont be fooled by the sylvan setting , this is one of the few areas in any sort of cover.

the rear area below the wall , but above the military road-this country, as you can see ,is not easy going if you arent on a metalled track.So this is the countryside that Roman technology opened up .The farm that you see in the distance is built entirely from stone taken from the wall some hundreds of years ago.

this is a closeup of the reconstructed wood and earth rampart as the Wall was originally envisaged and I suggest giving us a reasonable idea of the appearence of the Antonine Wall. I include the shot because I like its moodiness, but also because here we are almost on the very spot where Flavius Cerealis had the Vindolanda tablet bonfire constructed.