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Roman wooden writing tablet
Five conjoining fragments from the right hand portion of a wooden writing tablet, with fragmentary inked text set across the very fine grain. Part of the top edge of the tablet survives, as does the original right-hand side; the space beneath the bottom line of the text suggests that the end of the last complete line is preserved, though nothing remains of the basal edge. Found in the well of an officer’s house, on the Museum site It tells of guards sent to fetch pay (ad opinionem petendam) and also of parties collecting building-timber (materia). One of the soldiers in charge of the pay-escort is named Ofillio. Late first century A.D.
Reconstructed text [… ad opin]ionem peten(dam) [… ]Ofillio et [… ]is [… i]mpensam petituri sunt [… ].ra mater- [ria… …]aria in [… e]t in praetori- [um? se?]referent [… ].emans(it?) [… ] exient qui [… ma]teriarum […? ]
"This interesting text is too fragmentary to be translated, but is clearly part of a military document, of a type hitherto unknown, since it records the future movements of soldiers. These movements seem to have involved the escort of pay and the supply of building-timbers” From: Hassall, M.W.C. & Tomlin, R.S.O., 1986; Roman Britain in 1985 (II Inscriptions); Britannia, Vol. 17
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Site Name: Museum Garden, Caerleon
Notes: found in the filling of well 2
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