Roman Soldiers on Hadrian’s Wall Faced More Than Just Cold and Rain: Parasitic Infections Revealed
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A new study published in the journal Parasitology suggests life for Roman soldiers stationed at Hadrian’s Wall in the third century CE was even more unpleasant than previously imagined, adding chronic illness to the already harsh conditions of wet weather and poor sanitation. The research reveals evidence of widespread parasitic infections among the troops, offering a grim new perspective on the realities of Roman military life.
The hardships endured by soldiers along the Roman frontier have long been a subject of speculation. Poet W.H. Auden famously captured the bleakness in his “Roman Wall Blues,” describing a soldier battling “lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose.” Now, scientists are adding chronic nausea and frequent diarrhea to that list of potential ailments.
Archaeologists have increasingly turned to the study of ancient feces to understand the health of past populations. Analyzing the remains of intestinal parasites provides a unique window into diet, hygiene, and disease prevalence. In 2022, for example, researchers identified parasitic eggs from whipworm, beef/pork tapeworm, roundworm, and pinworm in soil samples taken from a 7th-century BCE toilet in Jerusalem – marking the earliest known evidence of roundworm and pinworm in ancient Israel.
From Sicily to Hadrian’s Wall: A Pattern of Parasitic Prevalence
Further evidence emerged later in 2022 from a 5th-century CE Roman villa in Gerace, Sicily. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of British Columbia discovered parasitic worm eggs on an ancient ceramic pot, strongly suggesting it served as a chamber pot. These findings underscore the pervasive nature of intestinal parasites throughout the Roman world.
This latest research focuses on sediment collected from sewer drains at Vindolanda, a Roman fort located just south of Hadrian’s Wall. The site, first documented in a 1586 treatise by antiquarian William Camden, has been subject to archaeological investigation since the 1930s. Discoveries at Vindolanda include a military bathhouse (1702), an altar (1715, and another in 1914 confirming the fort’s name), and the famed Vindolanda tablets – some of the oldest surviving handwritten documents in the UK.
Vindolanda’s Legacy: Beyond Tablets and…Possible Toys
Vindolanda recently gained attention for a more unusual find in 2023: an artifact initially believed to be an ancient Roman dildo. However, some scholars now argue the phallus-shaped object was more likely a drop spindle used for spinning yarn. Regardless of its true purpose, the discovery highlights the ongoing revelations unearthed at this historically rich site.
The analysis of sewer sediment at Vindolanda provides crucial insight into the daily lives – and ailments – of the soldiers stationed there. The presence of parasitic infections paints a vivid picture of the challenges they faced, adding another layer of complexity to our understanding of Roman military history. This research reinforces the idea that even the mighty Roman army was vulnerable to the unseen enemies lurking in their own waste, and the environment around them.
