No Kidding! Analysis of Leather from the Roman Fort of Vindolanda, UK.

The Roman fort at Vindolanda on the northern frontier in Britain has produced the largest assemblage of archaeological leather from anywhere in the Roman empire. The assemblage spans over 200 years of occupation and includes numerous different types of artefacts, offering an excellent opportunity to examine the characteristics of leather used in manufacturing in the Roman period.
This oral presentation presents the preliminary analysis of the animal species used for tents panels and scraps from manufacturing practices. Using ZooMS analysis, we provide results for the determination of species used for Roman tent panels and scraps. Preliminary work shows a much higher reliance on cattle and sheep hides rather than goat hides. For example: eight panels from the same tent dating to the first period of occupation at Vindolanda (ca. 85-90 CE); three panels were made from cattle hide and five came from sheep hide. These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the Roman economy on the frontier and animal species used in Roman leather manufacturing.