The black, oxygen-free soil in the abandoned 1,900-year-old barracks acts as a time capsule for traces of military life.
This cavalry strap is made from copper-alloy, but it shines like gold. It has hardly corroded after centuries buried underground.
The finds from the barracks date to about A.D. 120, just before Hadrian's Wall was built. Shown here is a piece of decoration from a horse's harness.
One of the swords was found complete with its hilt and handle. Perhaps it was left behind in the barracks because of its bent tip.
Archaeologists have found evidence for the presence of children in the form toys, like this wooden soldier.
The toys are a reminder that soldiers weren't the only people living at Vindolanda. The barracks would have been crowded with soldiers, their families, slaves and freedmen.