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There are several different ways to access individual tablets within
the database or to identify texts that contain particular words
or information on particular topics. If you already know the number
of the tablet you wish to examine, type it in the box in the sidebar
and click ‘go’. The default numbering sequence used
to identify individual tablets is from volume II (118-572).
In order to browse or search the tablets for more specific information,
for example the texts written by the same person, texts in which
a certain word, term or name occurs, or that refer to a particular
subject or come from the same archaeological context, follow ‘search’
or ‘browse’ from the side menu. Within ‘search’
there is also a tool for finding tablets using the alternative numbering
systems by which they have been identified, the numbers used in
Vindolanda Tablets I and the Vindolanda archaeological inventory
numbers (see The print publication
and the online edition for more details). Remember too that
the scholarly introductions to the tablets
can also be searched.
Search
There are two main categories of search, ‘Latin text search’
and ‘General text search’, as well as a search by tablet
number.
Latin text
The Latin text search is based on the index of Tab. Vindol.
II. For searching please use normalised spellings. Please note
that the search is based on spelling with u, not v,
e.g. uideo, uotum. Lower case v is only
used for numerals.
Nouns - search using the nominative singular form, e.g. dominus,
epistula, miles, but the different cases of pronouns
should be searched for separately e.g. ego, me,
mihi etc. Also search separately for the accusative singular
form of salus (i.e. salutem).
Adjectives – search using the nominative singular masculine
form, e.g. carus, dignus. Comparative and superlative
forms of adjectives should be searched for separately, as should
those of adverbs.
Verbs - search using the first person singular present indicative
active, e.g. scribo, mitto, but search separately
for the different forms of esse e.g. sum, eram,
fui.
The search results include certain readings, uncertain readings
and readings suggested in the notes, as well as terms represented
by symbols and abbreviations. Individual tablet entries must be
examined to discriminate between these. Personal and place names
are not available through the text search but can be explored via
‘Browse’.
General text search
This facility allows you to search the English translations, commentaries,
notes and cataloguing data (‘metadata’) for each tablet,
via a text box. Decide which fields in the database you wish to
search (or search all of them, using ‘All Text’), type
the term into the text box and click ‘search’.
Introduction / notes
This searches the introduction to each tablet and the line notes.
English Translation
This searches the English translations of the tablets text, including
place names (in translation, where known) and personal names in
anglicised form (e.g. Flavius, Advectus).
Title, subject and type
‘Titles’ were not supplied in the print publication
of the Vindolanda tablets but for the website a title for each document
has been created as a descriptive guide to content and a tool for
searching. They include, where possible, the type of document author,
recipient and general content of the document (e.g. ‘Account
of miscellaneous goods’, ‘Letter from Cerialis to Crispinus
concerning patronage’).
'Subjects': cataloguing data were created for the website to identify
the subjects of documents. They have been compiled in a ‘parent-child’
format, ‘parent’ being the general category, ‘child’
the more specific topic within the general category. For example
tablet 155 lists several groups of soldiers assigned to different
tasks. The ‘parent’ category is ‘work’,
the child categories ‘builders’, ‘shoemakers’
and ‘plasterers’. Browsing uses both the ‘parent’
and ‘child’ information.
‘Type’ is the type of document, e.g. account, list,
report or letter.
Author
This searches for individuals who identify themselves as the author
of a document (not necessarily the person responsible for writing
the tablet) or who can be identified as authors from other criteria
(for example palaeography, content).
Numbering sequences
It is also possible to search for ranges or lists of tablets, using
the Tab. Vindol. II numbering sequences, or to find individual
tablets using the alternative numbering systems by which they have
been identified, the numbers
used in Vindolanda Tablets I and the Vindolanda archaeological site
inventory numbers.
Browse
Much of the same information can be accessed through browsing.
The information that can be browsed includes subjects, categories
and types of documents, people, places, military terms, archaeological
context. Click a browse category to show all the headings and sub-headings
within each category and follow the links.
Number
This feature lists all the tablets in the order in which they were
published in Tab. Vindol. II.
Subject
Cataloguing data were created for the website to identify the subjects
of documents. They have been compiled in a ‘parent-child’
format, ‘parent’ being the general category, ‘child’
the more specific topic within the general category. For example
tablet 155 lists several groups of soldiers assigned to different
tasks. The ‘parent’ category is ‘work’,
the child categories ‘builders’, ‘shoemakers’
and ‘plasterers’.
Category
‘Categories’ of documents are those defined in Tab.
Vindol.II. These comprise literary documents, shorthand documents,
military reports, accounts and lists, the correspondence of several
individuals and descripta (texts of which only a small
fragment is preserved or could be read and which could not confidently
be assigned to a specific category).
Type
'Type' is the type of document, e.g. account, list, report or letter.
People
The browse list includes all the personal names referred to in
the Latin texts. For other individuals mentioned in the tablet commentaries
or in the introductory chapters, use the search features. Personal
names are spelled with u, not v except for the
initial letters of names, e.g. Flauius, Verecundus.
Places
The browse list includes all the names of places (and peoples)
referred to in the Latin texts. For other places mentioned in the
tablet commentaries or in the introductory chapters, use the search
features. Placenames are spelled with u, not v
except for the initial letters of names which are represented as
v, e.g. Vinouia, Luguualium, Verecundus.
Military terms
The browse list includes all the Latin military terms referred
to in the texts. For other military terms or military terms in translation
mentioned in the tablet commentaries or in the introductory chapters,
use the search features. Terms are spelled with u, not
v, e.g. ueteranus, uexillarius.
Archaeological contexts
It is possible to select tablets from the same period or from the
same room within a period from the database.
Please note that rooms belonging to different periods but designated
by the same number, e.g.
room II in period 3, room II in period 4 and room II in period 5,
are not the same rooms.
TVI number
This feature lists all the tablets published from Tab. Vindol.
I, in the Tab. Vindol. I order.
Search and browse results
A search or browse will produce a list of results, including thumbnail
image, tablet number and a brief description, including a title
and the number of lines of text in the tablet. Clicking on the number
of the tablet or the thumbnail displays the tablet.
If a search identifies the same tablet twice, for example because
the information is repeated in the title/category/type cataloguing
data (e.g. a search for ‘letter’), the tablet is only
represented once in the results page.
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