AN exciting new hoard of ancient writing tablets have been unearthed at Vindolanda Roman Fort, near Bardon Mill.

Archeologists said the find was the most significant since the discovery of a previous hoard back in 1992, which became known as the Vindolanda tablets, and were the oldest surviving writing documents in Britain.

Now 25 Roman ink documents have been discovered in the anaerobic earth at the site, including letters, lists and personal correspondence, which date back to the first century AD.

The wafer thin pieces of wood are less than 2mm thick and are about the size of modern postcards.

Dr Andrew Birley, chief executive officer of the Vindolanda Trust: "You can never take these things for granted as the anaerobic conditions needed for their survival are very precise.

"I was fortunate enough to be involved when my father, Dr Robin Birley, excavated a bonfire site of Vindolanda tablets in 1992 and I had hoped, but never truly expected, that the day might come when we would find another hoard of such preserved documents again during a day on our excavations."

More to follow in this week's Hexham Courant.