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Archaeologists in the U.K. recently had their "eyebrows raised" when they discovered an X-rated carving on a stone at a Roman fort. The graffiti features a crude penis accompanied by a phrase that experts say translates to "the shitter" next to someone's name, and it seems to have been etched out by a Roman soldier to insult a comrade.
The stone, which is 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) tall, was uncovered May 19 at Vindolanda, the ruins of a Roman fort just south of Hadrian's Wall — a fortified structure that served as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, built across England to defend Roman Britain against the unconquered Picts in Caledonia (made up of modern-day Scotland and some of northern England). The archaeologists think the graffiti was carved into the stone sometime during the third century A.D.
Volunteer archaeologist Dylan Herbert, a retired biochemist from Wales, unearthed the stone during his second week at the excavation site. Herbert had wanted to remove the stone, which he kept tripping over while excavating, for several days before he was given the green light to remove it. (The Vindolanda Charitable Trust responsible for excavating the site relies on unpaid volunteers to assist archaeologists in properly exploring the expansive site.)
"It looked from the back like all the others, a very ordinary stone, but when I turned it over, I was startled to see some clear letters," Herbert said in a statement(opens in new tab). "Only after we removed the mud did I realize the full extent of what I'd uncovered, and I was absolutely delighted."
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The stone, which is 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) tall, was uncovered May 19 at Vindolanda, the ruins of a Roman fort just south of Hadrian's Wall — a fortified structure that served as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, built across England to defend Roman Britain against the unconquered Picts in Caledonia (made up of modern-day Scotland and some of northern England). The archaeologists think the graffiti was carved into the stone sometime during the third century A.D.
Volunteer archaeologist Dylan Herbert, a retired biochemist from Wales, unearthed the stone during his second week at the excavation site. Herbert had wanted to remove the stone, which he kept tripping over while excavating, for several days before he was given the green light to remove it. (The Vindolanda Charitable Trust responsible for excavating the site relies on unpaid volunteers to assist archaeologists in properly exploring the expansive site.)
"It looked from the back like all the others, a very ordinary stone, but when I turned it over, I was startled to see some clear letters," Herbert said in a statement(opens in new tab). "Only after we removed the mud did I realize the full extent of what I'd uncovered, and I was absolutely delighted."
Penis graffiti and explicit insult carved into ancient stone 'raises eyebrows' at Roman fort
The stone's carver made their feeling toward a fellow soldier crystal clear.
