Archaeologists are likening the discovery to winning the lottery. A Roman cavalry barracks has been unearthed near Hadrian’s Wall, complete with extraordinary military and personal possessions left behind by soldiers and their families almost 2,000 years ago. A treasure trove of thousands of artefacts dating from the early second century has been excavated over the past fortnight.

The find is significant not just because of its size and pristine state, but also for its contribution to the history of Hadrian’s Wall, showing the military build-up that led to its construction in AD122. The barracks pre-dates the wall: the Romans already had a huge military presence in the area, keeping the local population under control.

“The native Britons took an opportunity, when the emperor Trajan died in AD117, to rebel,” says Andrew Birley, who heads the archaeological team. “The soldiers stationed in the north before the wall was built became involved in fighting and were very vulnerable. The evidence we have from this [find] shows the incredibly rich and diverse lifestyle these people had.”

Archaeologists stumbled on the site by chance and have been taken aback by finds in a remarkable state of preservation. These include two extremely rare cavalry swords – one of them complete, still with its wooden scabbard, hilt and pommel – and two wooden toy swords. One has a gemstone in its pommel.

As well as other weapons, including cavalry lances, arrowheads and ballista bolts – all left behind on the floors – there are combs, bath clogs, shoes, stylus pens, hairpins and brooches. Sections of beautifully woven cloth have also been unearthed. They may have come from garments and have yet to be tested.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The barracks was discovered beneath the fourth-century stone fort of Vindolanda. Photograph: Sonya Galloway

There are also two wooden tablets covered in marks made in black ink. They are thought to be letters, but their contents have yet to be deciphered as they were rushed into a conservation laboratory to ensure their survival.

The barracks, which dates from AD105, was found beneath the fourth-century stone fort of Vindolanda, south of Hadrian’s Wall near Hexham, Northumberland. It is one of the site’s earliest barracks. Hadrian did not begin his 73-mile defensive barrier – to guard the north-western frontier of the province of Britain from invaders – until 122.

The artefacts survived because they were concealed beneath a concrete floor laid by the Romans about 30 years after the barracks was abandoned, shortly before 120. The concrete created oxygen-free conditions that helped preserve materials such as wood, leather and textiles, which would otherwise have rotted away.

Birley said: “The swords are the icing on the cake for what is a truly remarkable discovery of one of the most comprehensive and important collections from the intimate lives of people living on the edge of the Roman Empire at a time of rebellion and war. What’s exciting is that [they] are remarkably well-preserved … There is a huge range of stuff – their hair combs, pots, wooden spoons, bowls, weapons, bits of armour, and their cavalry bling.

“Even for us, it’s very unusual to get things like complete Roman swords, sitting on the ground in their scabbards with their handles and their pommels. We were slightly dumbfounded by that. Then, to find another complete sword in another room next door only two metres away, two wooden swords and a host of other cavalry equipment, all in beautiful condition, is just terrific.

“Archaeologists would never expect to find a Roman cavalry sword in any context, because it’s like a modern-day soldier leaving his barracks and dumping his rifle on the floor … This is a very expensive thing. So why leave [it] behind?”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Moments after being uncovered, the strap junction still shines because of the airless conditions in which it was preserved. Photograph: Sonya Galloway

He recalled feeling “quite emotional” over the discovery: “You can work as an archaeologist your entire life on Roman military sites and never expect, or imagine, seeing such a rare thing, even at Vindolanda. It felt like the team winning a form of archaeological lottery, and we knew we had something very rare and special before us.”

Archaeologists lifted up a piece of concrete flooring while exploring the foundations of the fourth-century stone fortress. They were struck by a layer of black, sweet-smelling and perfectly preserved anaerobic soil in an area where it was completely unexpected.

Hidden in this soil, they went on to find, were the timber walls and floors, fences, pots and animal bones from the abandoned barracks. To their astonishment, excavating about 3.5 metres down, they uncovered eight rooms, with stables for horses, and living accommodation, with ovens and fireplaces.

They believe that the base was home to more than 1,000 soldiers and probably many thousands more dependants, including slaves. The Romans had covered over this early barracks with concrete and heavy clay foundations before building another above it. At Vindolanda, garrisons would arrive, build their forts and destroy them when leaving.

Birley said: “We have got successive barracks above them, some of which are also cavalry, but they’re much later and not preserved with anything like the range of material that has come from within the anaerobic conditions. What you’re seeing here is the full range of stuff, and all those little details that normally rot away completely.”

Cavalry swords are very rare, even across the north-west provinces of the Roman empire, he said, partly because they are so thin. “They’re very light, a couple of feet long, designed to slash somebody as you’re riding past, with a wickedly sharp blade and a point.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reenactors at Hadrian’s Wall: it is believed up to 1,000 soldiers lived at the 2nd-century garrison. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Other finds include copper alloy cavalry fitments for saddles, strap junctions and harnesses. They are in such fine condition that they still shine and are almost completely free of corrosion. The strap junctions are preserved so beautifully, he said, that they have all their alloy links – incredibly rare survivals.

Much of the pottery has graffiti, from which the archaeologists hope to work out the names and stories of some of the people who lived here.

The discovery is all the more emotional for Birley, as his archaeologist father, Robin, headed the team that discovered the famous Vindolanda writing tablets in 1973. The new tablets may give further insights. They are letters either sent to, or written by, the people living in those buildings.

Birley said: “So, as a collection of stuff, it doesn’t really get better than that. Some of the documents will hopefully give the names, the characters, what they’re thinking about, what they’re doing.”

Quite why so much valuable material was left behind has yet to be discovered. One theory is that the barracks was abandoned in a hurry. Birley said: “There was strife. This is the precursor to Hadrian coming to the UK to build his wall. This is the British rebellion. So you can imagine a scenario where the guys and girls at Vindolanda are told: �?We need to leave in a hurry, just take what you can carry.’ If it’s your sword or your child, you grab the child.” </s> When archaeologists lifted up a piece of concrete floor at a site near Hadrian's Wall, they never expected to discover one of the earliest Roman cavalry barracks and a treasure-trove of artefacts in a remarkable state of preservation.

A layer of black, sweet-smelling anaerobic soil led them to unearth eight rooms with stables for horses and living accommodation filled with extraordinary military and personal possessions left behind by cavalry men and their families 2,000 years ago.

Roman cavalry swords are extremely rare anywhere, but two were lying on the barrack floor.

One of them is so complete that it is still with its wooden scabbard, handle, hilt and pommel.

There are also two wooden swords – one with a gemstone decorating its pommel – which were clearly made as toys for the cavalry children.

Cavalry lances, arrowheads and ballista bolts are among other lethal weapons found, along with an incredible range of personal artefacts, such as combs, bath clogs, stylus pens, bone dice, hairpins and brooches.

Leather shoes include fine officers' examples, as well as those of women and children. There are also two letters written in black ink on wooden tablets.

They have been rushed into a conservation laboratory to ensure their survival. It will take about three months to conserve them. Archaeologists can take their time reading them once they're safe.

The barrack dates from AD105. It lies beneath the 4th-century stone Roman fort of Vindolanda, south of Hadrian's Wall, at Hexham, Northumberland.

It was not until AD122 that Emperor Hadrian began constructing his 73-mile defensive barrier, to guard the northwestern frontier of the province of Britain from barbarian invaders.

Dr Andrew Birley, who heads the archaeological team, likens such a discovery to winning an 'archaeological lottery': 'What's exciting is this incredible range of artefacts and everyday items.

'They're just remarkably well-preserved. There's a huge range of stuff - their hair combs, their pots, their wooden spoons, their bowls, their weapons, bits of armour, their cavalry bling.

'It's just all there on the floor. You name it, it's there. There's loads of stuff coming out.'

He adds: 'Even for us, it's very unusual to get things like complete Roman swords still surviving, sitting on the ground in their scabbards with their handles and their pommels on.

'We're slightly dumbfounded by that. Then to find another complete sword in another room next door only two metres away, two wooden swords and a host of other cavalry equipment… in beautiful condition is just terrific.'

The site was preserved because it has been beneath a concrete floor laid by the Romans about 30 years after the barrack was abandoned, shortly before 120AD. Successive barracks were constructed above it.

This is the south-eastern quadrant of the last stone fort. Material like wood, leather and textiles survived due to oxygen-free conditions created by that concrete layer. Such details would otherwise have rotted away.

Archaeologists happened to lift up a piece of the concrete while exploring the foundations of the surviving 4th-century stone fortress.

Excavating about 3.5 metres down, they found the earlier barrack's original timber walls and floors, fences, ovens and fireplaces.

They were part of a base that once housed more than 1,000 soldiers and probably many thousands more dependants, including slaves.

Birley says: 'I've been excavating for 24 years as an archaeologist and a lot of my colleagues for a lot longer than that and they would never expect to find a Roman cavalry sword in any context because it's like finding a modern-day soldier leaving his barrack and dumping his rifle on the floor. That's the equivalent. This is a very expensive thing so why leave them behind?'

A couple of feet long, they were 'super-thin', 'designed to slash somebody as you're riding past with a wickedly-sharp blade and a point'.

For a Roman to have left behind a complete sword is the ancient equivalent of a modern soldier abandoning their rifle, Birley says: 'Both blades came from separate rooms, are likely to have therefore belonged to different people.

'This is then a pattern and mystery which defies an easy explanation or answer. One theory is that the garrison was forced to leave in a hurry, and in their haste they left not only the swords but also a great number of other perfectly serviceable items which would have had great value in their time.'

He adds: 'This is the precursor to Hadrian coming to the UK to build his wall. This is the British rebellion.

'So you can imagine a scenario where the guys and girls at Vindolanda are told "we need to leave in a hurry and just take what you can carry". If it's your sword or your child, you grab the child.'

Other finds include copper alloy cavalry and horse fitments for saddles, junction straps and harnesses that are so well preserved, they still 'shine like gold', he says.

A beautiful bowl for crushing spices has a carved inscription inside its rim. There is pottery covered in graffiti.

Such pieces will offer clues to the identities of some of the people who lived in the barrack.Other finds include a beautiful bone stirrer, for making and mixing potions.

Birley says: 'It looks like a cocktail stick you get today with a spoon and three little holes drilled into it. There are lovely things like that.'

Making such a significant discovery at Vindolanda is all the more rewarding for him because his archaeologist father, Robin, headed the excavation that discovered the famous Vindolanda writing tablets in 1973. </s> A major new find of Roman artefacts in the North East has been likened to winning the lottery by archaeologists.

Thousands of a objects have been discovered in a barracks beneath the fourth-century fort of Vindolanda, south of Hadrian ’s Wall near Hexham in Northumberland.

It is one of the site’s earliest barracks and dates from around 105AD, which is before Emperor Hadrian began the 73-mile defensive barrier in 122AD.

The find includes two extremely rare cavalry swords – one of them complete, still with its wooden scabbard, hilt and pommel – and two wooden toy swords. One has a gemstone in its pommel.

Other weapons, including cavalry lances, arrowheads and ballista bolts were also left behind on the barracks floor and their discovery has also generated a bit of a mystery for those at the dig.

Dr Andrew Birley, Director of Excavations at Vindolanda, said: “You can imagine the circumstances where you could conceive leaving one sword behind rare as it is…. but two?”

“Both blades came from separate rooms, and are likely to have belonged to different people.

“One theory is that the garrison was forced to leave in a hurry, and in their haste they left not only the swords but also a great number of other perfectly serviceable items which would have had great value in their time.”

The latest discoveries cap a momentous few weeks of discoveries at Vindolanda.

Test pit excavations, below the stone foundations of the last stone fortress revealed a layer of black, sweet smelling and perfectly preserved anaerobic, oxygen free, soils in an area where they were completely unexpected.

Hidden in this soil were the timber walls and floors, fences, pottery and animal bones, from the abandonment of a Roman cavalry barrack. The excavated rooms included stables for horses, living accommodation, ovens and fireplaces.

While excavating the material from the corner of one of the living rooms the tip of a thin and sharp iron blade was found resting in its wooden scabbard. Further work revealed the whole sword.

Dr Birley spoke of the “quite emotional” moment of the story.

He said: “You can work as an archaeologist your entire life on Roman military sites and, even at Vindolanda, we never expect or imagine to see such a rare and special object as this. It felt like the team had won a form of an archaeological lottery.”

A few weeks later a second sword was found, this time without a wooden handle, pommel or scabbard, but with the blade and tang still complete and sitting on the floor exactly where it had been left thousands of years before.

Dr Birley said: “You don’t expect to have this kind of experience twice in one month so this was both a delightful moment and a historical puzzle.”

In another room were two small wooden toy swords, almost exactly the same as those that can be purchased by tourists visiting the Roman Wall today.

Roman ink writing tablets on wood, bath clogs, leather shoes belonging to men, women and children, stylus pens, knives, combs, hairpins, brooches and a wide assortment of other weapons including cavalry lances, arrowheads and ballista bolts were all abandoned on the barrack room floors.

Spectacular copper-alloy cavalry and horse fitments for saddles, junction straps and harnesses which were also left behind remain in such fine condition that they still shine like gold and are almost completely free from corrosion.

Visitors to Vindolanda will be able to see this cache of cavalry finds displayed in the site museum this autumn. </s> The Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday it was excavating 250,000-year-old flint tools when the archaeologists stumbled upon hundreds of liquor bottles near a building where British soldiers were garrisoned in 1917.

Excavation director Ron Toueg says uniform buttons, belt buckles and riding equipment were found near the city of Ramle in addition to the bottles of gin, whiskey and wine. He said it offered a glimpse into "the everyday life and leisure of the soldiers."

The items appear to have belonged to members of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force commanded by General Edmund Allenby.

Explore further: Israeli archaeologists find inscription of name from Bible </s> Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered an ancient shipyard in the north of the country’s Sinai Peninsula, thought to be at least 2,000 years old.

In a Facebook post, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities explained that the site contains two dry docks, separated by a rectangular building.

Egyptian officials explain that the excavations took place at the Tel Abu Saifi archaeological site, which is said to have been the location of the Roman fortress of Silla

The shipyard dates back to the Ptolemaic era between 332 B.C. and 30 B.C. and was once connected to a branch of the Nile via a lake Both the lake and the branch of the Nile have since dried up, according to Luxor Times.

In addition to pieces of wood that may have been used to repair boats, archaeologists found ancient nails, pottery and fish bones at the site.

The Ptolemaic dynasty was founded by one of Alexander the Great’s officers and ended with the suicide of Cleopatra VII in 30 B.C., marking the start of the Roman era in Egypt. Roman rule lasted until the Islamic conquest in the 7th century.

Egypt continues to reveal fresh details of its rich history. The skeleton of a 13-year-old girl, for example, was recently discovered in a mysterious grave near an ancient Egyptian pyramid.

In other projects, experts discovered dozens of mummies in ancient desert burial chambers and explained the strange brown spots on some of the paintings in King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Last month, archaeologists also announced the discovery of ancient tombs in the Nile Delta north of Cairo. In a separate project, two ancient tombs dating back to the Roman period were uncovered in Egypt’s Western Desert.

In November, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of eight limestone sarcophagi containing mummies at a site 25 miles south of Cairo. Last year, researchers also uncovered a "massive" building that was once part of Egypt’s ancient capital city.

In another project, archaeologists discovered a stunning sphinx statue at an ancient temple in southern Egypt.

Last summer, experts unlocked the secrets of a mysterious ancient ‘cursed’ black granite sarcophagus. The massive coffin, which was excavated in the city of Alexandria, was found to contain three skeletons and gold sheets with the remains.

Archaeologists also found the oldest solid cheese in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient city of Memphis.

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A mummy buried in southern Egypt more than 5,000 years ago has also revealed its grisly secrets, shedding new light on prehistoric embalming practices.

Fox News’ Chris Ciaccia and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers </s> CAIRO (AP) — Egypt says archaeologists have uncovered an ancient workshop used to build and repair ships that dates back to the Ptolemaic era (332 B.C.-30 B.C.) in the Sinai Peninsula.

The Antiquities Ministry says Tuesday that excavations took place in the Tel Abu Saifi archaeological site in Northern Sinai. The site is said to have been the location of the Roman fortress of Silla.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, says the workshop includes two dry dockyards where ships were built or repaired.

The Greco-Roman period in Egypt spans from its fall to Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. to the Islamic conquest in the 7th century.

Egypt hopes such discoveries will spur tourism, which suffered a major setback during the unrest that followed the 2011 uprising.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. </s> Image copyright EPA

Archaeologists in Cologne believe they have uncovered the foundations of the oldest known library in Germany, dating back to the 2nd Century.

A team from the city's Roman-Germanic Museum discovered the library remains while excavating the site of a Protestant church.

The building likely housed up to 20,000 scrolls, according to Dr Dirk Schmitz, a researcher on the expedition.

He described the find as "truly spectacular".

The archaeologists involved in the parish church project uncovered the remains of a Roman building from the 2nd Century.

Cologne was founded by the Romans under the name Colonia in 50 AD.

Image copyright EPA

The former library is thought to have had a size of around 20 metres by nine and was two storeys high.

"At first we thought they were the remains of a space for public gatherings," Marcus Trier, director of the city's Romano-Germanic Museum said, but the walls had "unusual, cavernous structures".

After intensive research and comparison with ancient buildings such as the Ephesus in Turkey, the archaeologists were confident they had found the remains of what used to be a library.

"It took us some time to match up the parallels - we could see the niches were too small to bear statues inside," said Dr Schmitz, from the Roman-Germanic Museum of Cologne.

"They are very particular to libraries - you can see the same ones in the library at Ephesus."

The historic ruins have also revealed niches and cases, which likely stored an incredible number of parchment and papyrus rolls. "Maybe 20,000," he estimates.

Image copyright EPA

The western German city on the Rhine River is over 2,000 years old - so stumbling upon ancient ruins is not unusual.

The foundations are now to be integrated as a significant part into the new protestant church and will be open to the public. Other remains of the newly found library will be left for further archaeological examinations.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. </s> Israeli archaeologists have found hundreds of glass bottles at the site of a First World War British army barracks.

The remains of the drinking session were found during excavations for a new road near the central city of Ramle, where soldiers under the command of Field Marshal Edmund Allenby were garrisoned in 1917.

The camp, based around a tall building, was occupied for about nine months from November 1917 during a pause in the campaign against the Turkish army in Palestine.

Workers uncovered a waste pit filled with cutlery, broken plates and the giant haul of empty glass bottles, including Gordon's gin and John Dewar's whisky.

Excavation director Ron Toueg said: 'About 70 percent of the waste that was discarded in the refuse pit were liquor bottles.

'It seems that the soldiers took advantage of the respite given them to release the tension by frequently drinking alcohol.'

Mr Toueg said the find gave a unique insight into the everyday lives of the soldiers while they were away from the battlefield.

He said: 'The discovery of this site and the finds in it provide us with an opportunity for a glimpse of the unwritten part of history, and reconstruct for the first time the everyday life and leisure of the soldiers.'

The soldiers were part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, captured the land around Ramle in November 1917 and went into Jerusalem the next month.

Researcher Brigitte Ouahnouna said it was the first such find uncovered in Israel.

She added: 'It is a fascinating testimony of the everyday life of the British military camp a century ago.' </s> Hundreds of 1,000-year-old silver coins, rings, pearls and bracelets linked to the era of Danish king Harald Gormsson have been found on the eastern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea.

Hundreds of 1,000-year-old silver coins, rings, pearls and bracelets linked to the era of Danish king Harald Gormsson have been found on the eastern German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea.

A single silver coin was first found in January by two amateur archaeologists, one of them a 13-year-old boy, in a field near the village of Schaprode.

The state archaeology office then became involved and the entire treasure was uncovered by experts over the weekend, the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania state archaeology office said. “It’s the biggest trove of such coins in the south-eastern Baltic region,” a statement said.

An archaeologist holds an ancient Danish coin which was minted under King Harald Bluetooth (dpa/AP) The office said the two amateur archaeologists were asked to keep quiet about their discovery to give professionals time to plan the dig. They were then invited to participate in the recovery. “This was the (biggest) discovery of my life,” hobby archaeologist Rene Schoen told the German news agency dpa.

Mr Schoen said he and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko were using metal detectors on the field near Schaprode when Luca found a little piece that he initially thought was only aluminium waste. But when they cleaned it, they understood it was more precious. Archaeologists said about 100 of the silver coins are probably from the reign of Harald Gormsson, better known as Harald Bluetooth, who lived in the 10th century and introduced Christianity to Denmark.

Hobby archaeologist Rene Schoen and 13-year-old Luca Malaschnitschenko, who made the find (dpa/AP) He was one of the last Viking kings of what is now Denmark, northern Germany, southern Sweden and parts of Norway. His nickname came from the fact he had a dead tooth that looked bluish, although the term is of course best known for the wireless Bluetooth technology invented by Swedish telecom company Ericsson.
Archaeologists discover a cache of Roman Britain-era artefacts, including weapons, at an ancient Roman cavalry barracks near Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Archaeologists liken the discovery to winning the lottery.