Writing Tablet
Description
This pine writing tablet was found during excavations at the site of the Roman fort at Newstead in Roxburghshire. It dates from between 80 and 100 AD. The central area of a sheet of pine has been hollowed out to hold wax on which the message was written using a stylus. When ready for dispatch, pairs of tablets could be tied up like a book. Brought to Scotland by the Romans, writing was a vital part of the bureaucracy generated by the army. The most common writing materials were wax and wooden tablets inscribed with a stylus, and tablets of thin leaves of wood written with ink. Photo © National Museums Scotland
Object Information
Date Created:
80-100 CE
Local ID:
X.FRA 710
Collection:
National Museums Scotland
Provenance:
James Curle excavation 1905-1911
Place of Creation/Discovery:
Trimontium
Citation:
Clarke, D.V., Breeze, D.J., and Mackay, Ghillean. The Romans in Scotland. An introduction to the collections of the National Museums of Antiquities of Scotland. Edinburgh: National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, 1980, p 51.
Materials:
Pine (wood)
Cultural Attribution:
Roman
Period:
2nd century CE
Classification:
Writing
Rights:
In Copyright- National Museums Scotland