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On June 16, 2026, Dr. Andrew Birley, director of excavations at Vindolanda, was excavating a fourth-century Roman barrack when he came across a beautifully preserved sandstone statue depicting a protective guardian spirit. The rare Roman relief was untouched since it had been deliberately buried beneath the barrack floor more than 1,600 years ago.
Vindolanda was a Roman fort in northern England, built around 85 CE, just south of Hadrian’s Wall. It stood along an important Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth and remained in use for nearly 300 years. Today, it’s best known for the Vindolanda Tablets—thin wooden writing tablets that are the oldest surviving handwritten documents ever found in Britain.
The discovery of the 1.5-foot-tall figure marks an exciting moment in the history of one of the UK’s most fascinating Roman sites. In one hand, the figure carries a cornucopia to represent abundance, while the other holds a patera, a shallow bowl used for ritual offerings. Archaeologists believe the statue once stood in a household shrine, representing a Genius—the protective spirit that Romans believed brought safety, wealth, and good fortune.
The discovery is especially meaningful because it was made by Birley himself. While many of Vindolanda’s incredible finds are uncovered by the hundreds of volunteers who dig there each year, Birley is the third generation of his family to work at the Roman site. His grandfather first began excavations in the 1930s, and his father spent decades uncovering its history.
“I have been fortunate enough to have worked at the site for many years and made some wonderful discoveries along the way, but I was completely unprepared for what I found on the other side of this stone,” Birley admits. “It was an extraordinary moment, one that we were able to share with the team of archaeologists and volunteers whose hard work makes discoveries like this possible.”
While references to Genius figures are relatively common in Roman texts, surviving stone reliefs like this one are incredibly rare. “Once we knew who we had found, it somehow felt entirely appropriate. It was almost as though Vindolanda itself had reached out to the team and quietly said, ‘We approve of what you are doing.’” Birley shares. “As archaeologists, moments like these are incredibly rare, and we feel privileged to have uncovered and preserved such an important part of the site’s story.”
Experts are now conserving and examining the sculpture before it joins the collection at the on-site museum. Visitors will soon be able to see a protective figure face to face, after it was buried for more than 16 centuries.
Find out more about the incredible discovery on the Vindolanda website.
A rare Roman sculpture depicting a protective guardian spirit has been discovered at Vindolanda after remaining hidden underground for over 1,600 years.
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Source: Genius uncovered
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