EXCAVATIONS at a Roman fort in Northumberland are revealing that the military base was a hive of industrial activity.

The dig at Vindolanda is producing further evidence that the Roman Army established a major metal working “factory” at the site.

Soldiers were mining coal, iron ore and lead to produce a range of items. Stone moulds, crucibles and furnaces have been uncovered inside the fort.

Archaeologist Dr Robin Birley said: “We think of the Roman garrison carrying out military training and going on manoeuvres, but they are processing iron and lead and working metal like hell. It is quite extraordinary and shows there is a new dimension to what is going on up here.

“There are furnaces all over the place and they would be making a variety of goods. They are making millions of nails, which is very boring but very useful.”

The finds challenge earlier views that metal working was taking place in the fort’s civilian settlement outside the walls of the base, while the troops inside got on with “soldierly” activities.

But some of the latest of the excavated Vindolanda writing tablets to be deciphered have revealed lists of names of soldiers who had been assigned to duties in the workshops.

A number of them are titled ”craftsman”. The spread of slag from the many furnaces has been found in all the later fort remains.

An altar found at Vindolanda in 1914 was dedicated to the god Vulcan, patron of metalworkers.

“The Romans are really exploiting the resources of the area and could be supplying the whole of the region,” said Dr Birley. “It is also a good way of keeping idle soldiers occupied.”

They may have been raising funds for their regiment by making and supplying goods to other garrisons and local settlements.

Dr Birley said that writing tablets showed accounts of money coming into the fort.

“The question is how they are raising the money. They could be selling stuff to other forts and regiments,” he said.

“The Roman Army would have had a really high demand for all kinds of iron goods, ranging from weapons, tools and nails to fittings for within their buildings.”

There is ample evidence to suggest that the soldiers were also supplying their fort with charcoal.

The Roman industrial activity was repeated in the 19th Century when the coming of the railway to the Tyne Valley allowed coal and ore to be mined and easily transported.