Vindolanda Tablets Online Tablets Exhibition Reference Help

Tablets guide - Finding Tablets in the database (searching and Browsing)

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Tablets guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Searching the website

Finding Tablets in the database (searching and Browsing)

Example inquiry

Individual tablets - interpreting and customising their presentation

The Image Zooming Viewer

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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