What interesting things can be found in the vaults of museums?

a scene from the movie "night at the Museum: secret of the tomb"

Because of the pandemic coronavirus in 2020 stopped working not only to restaurants, hair salons and shopping malls. Its activities were forced to stop and a group of scientists — at least, it affected the areas of archaeological excavations. But do not think that the archaeologists and Museum staff several months at home lying on the couch, sipped a beer, and made the binge-watching TV series. The staff of one of the museums in England, for example, after you stop the excavation, it was decided to dismantle the stuff in their vaults. Over many years of research in the Museum has accumulated more than 7000 leather goods found in the ancient Roman military camp Vindolanda. Among all this debris, the researchers found very interesting artifacts.

Ancient fortress

Archaeological work on the territory of the fortress is underway with the nineteenth century. According to the calculations of researchers, Vindolanda was built about 85 ad. Originally, when building and land, but subsequently construction a few times strengthened with stone. It is believed that the fortress was designed to repel the raids of Picts and existed for many years. Near the camp there are traces of a settlement, whose inhabitants could supply the soldiers with food.

Judging by the remains, all four sides of the fortress was equipped with a gate. The building was built on wet, clayey ground, which has always been the lack of oxygen — these conditions do not allow the occurrence of oxidation processes, which means ancient objects do not rot and retain their original appearance for as long as possible.

Ruins Vindolanda today

In 1973 on the site Vindolanda was found wooden tablets with inscriptions that have helped scientists to learn much about the lives of the inhabitants of the military camp. The inscription was made with coal pen, and, thanks to good storage conditions, is well preserved. By 2010, the historians managed to decipher more than 700 plates. In addition, the camp was found, leather shoes, clothing, wooden toys and even Boxing gloves.

Reconstruction of the fortress Vindolanda in the form of layout

Archaeological findings

All these historical items were displayed in a makeshift Museum Vindolanda. Among the findings, the researchers found a lot of garbage, which were sent to the repository. Since 1993, in warehouses has accumulated more than 7000 leather products. While various blindfolds and leather handbags went to the Museum, all sorts of rags were sent to the warehouse. During a pandemic, the Museum staff decided to go through all of this stuff and found a very interesting artifact.

leather Among debris researchers have found the toy mouse.

We are Talking about the shape of the mouse is carved from a piece of thick leather. First, the researchers thought it was a toy in the form of a lizard, but then thoroughly cleaned it of dirt and saw the texture of the hair. It became very clear that before the eyes of the Museum staff — an artificial mouse. According to researcher Barbara Burley (Barbara Birley), this is a very unexpected finding. It turned out that in their collections, which few people paid attention, kept some very interesting things.

the mouse Artificial leather

For what it is intended this figure as a mouse, historians can only guess. Come to mind only two assumptions. First, it can be a toy made specifically for children who lived in a settlement nearby. Second, it may be an old subject for drawing. After all, any "shopping fun" is rubber spiders and snakes — maybe it's the old game of Romans?

Perhaps the Romans were the more funny people

The Researchers noted that once upon a time in the fortress, and so had plenty of rodents. In 2008, they unearthed a granary military camp and there found the skeletons of thousands of mice that feed on grain reserves. Rodent bones were probably removed, but found a rubber mouse will take pride of place among the exhibits.

Actually, the similar vault with interesting artifacts have almost all the museums located in close proximity to archaeological sites. Every year researchers find thousands of items and bones and simply do not have time to study them, so send them to the warehouse. It's just think — how many interesting finds are still not explored?

Among them there are even the remains of a previously unknown animal. Fortunately, the hands of researchers will sooner or later catch up with them. One of the previously unknown animals, I have already told in one of the old material. Until 2019in the vault of the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi were kept the bones of a predator, which was given the name "great lion of Africa." He lived 22 million years ago and was bigger than modern polar bears .