Ceramic Tile

3D Model

Ceramic Tile Roman, AD 80 to AD 410 Found in Binchester Roman Fort DURMA.1986.59.7

Binchester (Roman name: Vinovia) was founded around AD 80. It was one of the largest Roman military sites in Northern Britain. The graffiti on this tile was handwritten while the tile was still wet rather than cut by a stonemason after firing.

A similar tile, now at the Bowes Museum, has an extended version of this graffiti was found on the same site which suggests this text was used as a writing exercise. The different handwriting styles on the two tiles means that they were likely to have been inscribed by two different people.