Climate change threatens Hadrian's Wall treasures
The Romans built Hadrian's Wall to keep out barbarian raiders from the north 1,900 years ago. Today, global warming is putting the site in northern England and valuable artifacts at risk.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Over a length of 118 kilometers (73 miles), Hadrian's Wall crosses northern England from east to west. It was one of the biggest structures built by the Romans and continues to be immensely popular among tourists today. These lucky walkers were even able to witness a double rainbow.
A bulwark against the barbarians
The wall was named after Roman Emperor Hadrian. Construction began in 122 AD and ended six years later. It was supposed to prevent raids by barbarians from Caledonia, which had not yet been invaded.
Ground drying out
Over the years, original items of clothing, tools, weapons and other everyday objects have been found in the area around Hadrian's Wall, much of which consists of marshes and peat bogs. The moist ground is drying out because of global warming caused by climate change, putting the artifacts at risk.
Valuable treasures under threat
Many artifacts, such as this bronze vessel, have retained a fascinating amount of detail because of the peaty soil. However, global warming is causing serious problems. "When […] oxygen gets in there, things that are really delicate, that are made of leather, textile, items of wood, crack, decay and are lost forever," archaeologist Andrew Birley told news agency, AFP.
Race against time
There is a race between archeologists and climate change as the latter threatens to damage structures that have not yet been explored and understood sufficiently by historians. "Less than 1% of Hadrian's Wall has been explored archaeologically and a lot of that landscape is protected in this wet peat land environment and that's a landscape that's really under threat," said Andrew Birley.
A long way from home
During the Roman Empire, thousands of soldiers lived at this site, many of them with their families, a long way from the capital. They left behind numerous relics of their everyday lives, allowing archaeologists today to reconstruct life in the north of the empire.
Revealing the past
According to Andrew Birley, the artifacts are "fantastic because they've completely changed our perception of the Roman Empire, the Roman army, they've changed it from being a male preserve to lots of women and children running around." Maybe they also ran around Sycamore Gap, a dip on the wall in Northumberland National Park.
Spears, shields and sandals
History you can touch: Hadrian's Wall, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, is one of the most popular attractions in Britain. Tourists particularly like the re-enactments of battles between the Roman conquerors and local populations.
Hidden treasures
A tourist explores the fort of Vindolanda, a Roman settlement not far from the the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, which was named Pons Aelius by the Romans. Only a quarter of the site, which was hidden under a field until 50 years ago, has been excavated. The fort is one of 14 dotted along the wall.
On the lookout
Will it be possible to walk along the wall like this man in future? Andrew Birley thinks that the anniversary marking the beginning of its construction offers a good opportunity to think about how the site can be preserved, so that the wall and the precious artifacts are still around in 1,900 years.