New archive project to unlock stories of Hadrian’s Wall

The project, called Materialitas, is led by The Vindolanda Trust, which has secured £149,996 through the Archives Revealed Consortium Grant.  

The funding will support detailed cataloguing, conservation and new forms of public engagement with archival material documenting centuries of study, excavation and interpretation of the wall.  

The project will run from April 2026 to April 2028. 

Opening up the Wall’s stories  

Hadrian’s Wall, the 73mile frontier built in AD 122, remains one of the most iconic monuments of the Roman world. 

As the site faces increasing risks from climate change and natural decay, archival records play an essential role in preserving knowledge for future generations. 

The Materialitas project will create new catalogues and introduce wider public opportunities. 

These include internships, volunteer roles, an artist residency and an online exhibition. 

This will enable more people to engage with the wall’s history and the individuals who have shaped its study. 

Five significant archives brought together  

Our involvement builds on the University’s long-standing strengths in Roman frontier studies and deep historical ties to Hadrian’s Wall.  

The project brings together five complementary archives that collectively shed light on the archaeology, landscape and personalities associated with the Wall. 

One of these is held here at Durham: the documentary archive relating to the Oswald-Plicque Reference Collection. 

This is a key archaeological resource comprising 4,500 Samian ware fragments housed in our Museum of Archaeology, alongside an associated archive that has never been researched in detail. 

The other archives involved in the project are: 

• The Archive of Eric Birley, held at The Vindolanda Trust 

• The SANT Photographic Archive of Hadrian’s Wall, held at the Great North Museum: Hancock 

• The Archive of Beryl Charlton, also held at the Great North Museum: Hancock 

• The South Shields Roman Fort Archaeological Archive, held at Arbeia South Shields Roman Fort 

Find out more 

• Materialitas is being led by The Vindolanda Trust, an independent archaeological charitable trust which secured £149,996 in funding through The National Archives Consortium Grant to deliver the project. 
• Learn more about our Museum of Archaeology. 
• Our Department of Archaeology is ranked sixth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 and fourth in the Complete University Guide 2026. Visit our Archaeology webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.