everyday writings of Vindolanda

Yesterday the BBC Radio 4 programme 'Material World' had a fascinating piece on the 'Vindolanda texts'. This is the biggest hoard of everyday writings from a military outpost in Roman Britain. The programme was most interested in the enormous challenges presented in reading them however there were some fascinating quotations. The programme describes them thus: "They are like our emails today - quick, frivolous messages to friends and relatives: from laundry lists to letters asking for warmer underwear." I'm not quite sure why matters of personal importance should be described as 'frivolous'. The superb Vindolanda Tablets Online website defines this category as 'necessities of life'. Their other categories are: families, pleasures and ceremonies; letters to make, keep (or lose) friends; and military matters. JG

Illustration comes from:
http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/TVII-291