Exchanges between the British Isles and the Continent,c. 450 –c. 900
Rosamond McKitterick
When the Vindolanda tablets, dating from between ad 90 and 120, were discovered on Hadrian’s Wall in 1970s, they changed dramatically our understanding of place Roman Britain literate world Empire. The range variety texts represented hundreds ink-written wooden tablets included military documents reports, occasional literary references (to Vergil Catullus, for instance) a wealth personal letters exchanged with people elsewhere Britain, north-west Gaul Rome itself. These include autographs by individuals, even wives commanders, as well professional writers. several hundred men women responsible these remnants community not members social elites but nevertheless whom individual power to generate control was important. capital cursive scripts coupled evidence stone inscriptions, are an eloquent witness both presence, possibly introduction, writing region consequence army’s occupation connection production administrative documents. collection whole is salutary reminder only Britain’s communication rest world, also Romano-British population’s participation culture that world. Further, script system survived process development western Ireland before arrival English course fifth sixth centuries. Italian Frankish forms then introduced missionaries into areas occupied English.
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