Phallic Carvings Found Near Hadrian's Wall

[guy]

Quote

 

New Roman graffiti found in project to record ancient quarry carvings Archaeologists have discovered for the first time Roman graffiti made centuries ago by soldiers quarrying stone to repair Hadrian's Wall. Carvings at the remains of a quarry at Gelt Woods in Cumbria include a caricature of the commanding officer in charge as well as a phallus which would have been a general good luck symbol to the Romans who created it. The drawings also include an inscription dating to 207AD, a period when Hadrian's Wall had a major repair and renewal programme.

 

 

Article on find:

https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/02/28/1800-year-old-roman-penis-carvings-discovered-near-hadrians-wall-some-things-never-change/

 

Entire transcript of video:

Quote

New Roman graffiti found in project to record ancient quarry carvings Archaeologists have discovered for the first time Roman graffiti made centuries ago by soldiers quarrying stone to repair Hadrian's Wall.

Carvings at the remains of a quarry at Gelt Woods in Cumbria include a caricature of the commanding officer in charge as well as a phallus which would have been a general good luck symbol to the Romans who created it.

The drawings also include an inscription dating to 207AD, a period when Hadrian's Wall had a major repair and renewal programme.

Experts from Newcastle University are recording the inscriptions before the soft sandstone in which they were made is eroded. Archaeologists will descend 30ft (9m) down the quarry face to record the 'written rock of Gelt' in a project funded by government agency Historic England.

The graffiti was uncovered when vegetation off the rock was cleared to record inscriptions, with new writing and lettering - which was thought to have been lost to erosion - also found during the first day of surveying of the site. The markings were first discovered in the 18th century but have suffered in recent years from the gradual erosion of the sandstone into which they were cut, prompting the decision to record them.

The site is one of a handful of Roman quarries in England to feature these kind of carvings which hopefully hold important information of names, and in some cases their rank and military unit, of men who worked their.

One carving which refers to the consulate of Aper and Maximus can be dated to 207AD and offers proof of rebuilding and repair work to the Roman frontier in the early 3rd century.

The collapse of a path up to the site in the 1980s put a halt to the public being able to view the inscriptions. As such the project will make a 3D record of the graffiti for people to be able to see them. In order to record the carvings, the archaeologists from Newcastle University are working with rock climbing specialists to gain access to the graffiti on a system of ropes and pulleys. They are using an imaging technique known as 'structure from motion photogrammetry' to produce a 3D record of the writings. These will be for the public to help them better understand the condition the markings are in.

Mike Collins, inspector of ancient monuments for Hadrian's Wall at Historic England, said: 'These inscriptions at Gelt Forest are probably the most important on the Hadrian's Wall frontier. 'They provide insight into the organisation of the vast construction project that Hadrian's Wall was, as well as some very human and personal touches, such as the caricature of their commanding officer inscribed by one group of soldiers.'

Ian Haynes, professor of archaeology at Newcastle University, said: 'These inscriptions are very vulnerable to further gradual decay. 'This is a great opportunity to record them as they are in 2019, using the best modern technology to safeguard the ability to study them into the future.'

 

Some things never change.

 

 

guy also known as gaiuis

Edited March 1, 2019 by guy