The UKs Oldest Written Documents Have Been Found

On 1 June 2016, some of Britain’s oldest written documents were found at a site in Bloomsbury, London. Dating from 57 AD onwards, the documents — in the form of wooden tablets — give insight into some of the very first Londoners and their day-to-day lives. The tablets also provide the first mentions of London, as well as trade deals and financial documentation, showing the origins of London’s reputation as a financial centre.
During an archaeological dig at Bloomberg’s future headquarters in Bloomsbury, over 700 artefacts were found, 405 being wooden tablets with inscriptions detailing daily life in the first decades of London. The MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) have said that these tablets provide unprecedented access to the worlds ‘of the people who lived, worked, traded with and administered the new city.’

The majority of the tablets date from c. 50 – 70 AD and several among them have redefined the archaeological community’s previously thought to have been the earliest hand-written document from Britain and mentions of London. The London tablet (65 – 80 AD) in particular provides references to London 50 years earlier than previously thought when it was mentioned in the Annals of Tacitus of 109 AD. They also show deep insight into the everyday lives of the first ever Londoners, with almost 100 names uncovered; revealing a spectrum of the structure of London, ranging from brewers to slaves and even judges.

Archaeologist with a tablet just discovered on site // Exceptional preservation of wood in muddy ground at Bloombery

This incredible find was discovered during an archaeological dig under what will be Bloomberg’s new European headquarters in Bloomsbury. Sophie Jackson, an Archaeologist and Director at MOLA, expressed that they were expecting to find some artefacts as the discovery of a network of roads in the area had hinted to a few years previously, but the discovery of so many tablets took the team by surprise.

The discovery of such a treasure trove of tablets in itself was incredible due to wood rarely being able to survive in mud. However, the ancient river of the Walbrook stopped oxygen from deteriorating and affecting the wood. As such, the tablets are in excellent condition. The tablets have now been treated by MOLA using a process of water, intricate cleaning and freeze-drying with a substance called PEG to prevent further degradation.

Luisa Duarte conserving a writing tablet

The rectangular tablets and their engravings were originally made by pouring a layer of beeswax into the recesses in the wood grain and then engraving text on top. Whilst the beeswax did not last, the scratches in the grains made by styluses have remained and are able to be deciphered. Dr. Roger Tomlin, a cursive Latin expert and classicist has been instrumental in the decoding of these tablets. Using a combination of microscopic analysis, angled light photography and his expansive knowledge on early Roman Briton, Dr. Tomlin has managed to unlock the messages to these tablets and revealed a world filled with transactions and conversations akin to our own. He recounts how he is ‘so lucky to be the first to read them again, after more than nineteen centuries, and to imagine what these people were like, who founded the new city of London.’

Roger Tomlin deciphers the Bloomberg tablets

The artefacts from the Bloomberg site will be put on display in the new Bloomberg headquarters upon completion in The London Mithraeum exhibition, opening in autumn 2017.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.