Luxembourg's National Institute for Archaeological Research, the INRA, has announced that it is organising a Conference in English on Wednesday 6 May 2026 from 18:30 - 20:00 at the Musée 3 Eechelen in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, entitled "Vindolanda - Voices from Rome's Northern Frontier".
Entry is free.
The Vindolanda tablets are among Britain’s and Northern Europe’s oldest surviving handwritten documents, offering unparalleled insights into life of Roman Britain, including the earliest known birthday party invitation written by a woman. Discovered in 1973 at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, they have transformed our understanding of the early Roman occupation of Britain and (military) life in Northern Europe.
Professor Emeritus Alan Bowman explores the challenges of deciphering and interpreting the tablets and reveals how they illuminate the social and economic lives of soldiers and their families — with a focus on units recruited from the Lower Rhine region.
Alan Bowman, Professor emeritus is a historian of the Roman empire with particular research interests in the documentary evidence from Egypt and northern Britain. Positions he has held include tutor in Ancient History at Christ Church, University of Oxford, Camden Professor of Ancient History and Principal of Brasenose College, President of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, Vice-President (Humanities) of the British Academy (elected Fellow in 1994).
