1970s: Archaeologist Robert Birley first finds the writing tablets along Hadrian’s Wall in England.

AD 90-120: Dates most of the letters were written on post-card size slices of wood.

1,000: Number of letters found so far.

280: Number of individual people doing the writing

2: Number of socks, sandals and underpants one cold soldier asked to have sent up to England from home.

Source: Daily Mail, http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/