▁Roman ▁occupation ▁ended ▁suddenly ▁in ▁ 4 1 0 ; ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁decl ined ▁slowly . ▁ ▁Ex c av ation ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁the ▁house ▁at ▁Ch ester holm ▁where ▁the ▁museum ▁is ▁now ▁located ▁was ▁purchased ▁by ▁arch ae ologist ▁Eric ▁Bir ley , ▁who ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁exc av ating ▁the ▁site . ▁ ▁The ▁exc av ations ▁have ▁been ▁continued ▁by ▁his ▁sons , ▁Robin ▁and ▁Anthony , ▁and ▁his ▁grand son , ▁Andrew ▁Bir ley , ▁into ▁the ▁present ▁day . ▁They ▁are ▁undert aken ▁each ▁summer , ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁depos its ▁reach ▁depth s ▁of ▁six ▁metres . ▁The ▁an ox ic ▁conditions ▁at ▁these ▁depth s ▁have ▁preserved ▁thousands ▁of ▁arte fact s , ▁such ▁as ▁wooden ▁writing ▁table ts ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 6 0 ▁box wood ▁comb s , ▁that ▁normally ▁dis integr ate ▁in ▁the ▁ground , ▁thus ▁providing ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁gain ▁a ▁full er ▁understanding ▁of ▁Roman ▁life ▁– ▁military ▁and ▁otherwise ▁– ▁on ▁the ▁northern ▁front ier . ▁A ▁study ▁of ▁sp ind le ▁wh or ls ▁from ▁the ▁north - western ▁quadr ant ▁has ▁indicated ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁sp inners ▁of ▁low - ▁and ▁high - ▁status ▁in ▁the ▁fort ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁and ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁AD . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁on going ▁exc av ations ▁( in ▁season ) ▁and ▁exc av ated ▁remains , ▁a ▁full - size ▁rep lica ▁of