Volunteers discover victory in Vindolanda –

A couple worked as volunteer diggers at Roman Fort in Vindolanda, Northumberland for 21 years and found a relief that was believed to be a portrayal of the Roman goddess of victory. Liverpool engineer Jim Quinlan and healthcare worker Dilys Quinlan excavated a pile of rubble sandstone relief from above the third century infantry barracks.

The stone is 47cm x 28cm x 17cm (18.5x11x6.7 inches), carved with a body with legs forward and holding a round object. If this is the Victorian representative, then the circular object might be a wreath, which is one of her attributes. This looks spherical to me, though, so who knows.

The stone is considered to be the side of the larger relief, which constructs the inscription at its center. These special barracks were built during the turbulent period of the Romans in CAD 213 after the end of the Sephran War. The barracks were once decorated with large decorative arches and doors, exactly where the inscriptions might exist. The relief of victory was frustrating, representing the end of the war and the fortress was established on the scene. […]

Roman reliefs like this are often painted with bright colors. “There is a good chance that this stone was originally a bright paint. We will work with our experts to see if any traces of the pigment are left, so now the relief has been stored, ready for further analysis.”

The rubble layer it found was the remaining 4th century floor, so it seemed that the relief was broken, and a piece of floor was recycled a century later when it was built.

As part of the latest exhibition of discoveries discovered in early 2026, relief will be on display at the Vindolanda Museum.

The video diary provides Dr. Marta Alberti-Dunn, deputy director of Vindolanda excavation, with progress on DIG this season. She talked to Finders and discussed relief at 4:02.