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| Question:
What evidence is there for handwritten text? |
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| Graffiti on column |
| This is part of a column drum, which has had words scratched into it in Roman times. It reads: …]MAS IIS l …] AMVA IIS. It seems to record two names, followed by '2.5', and may be a temporary record scored in the mason's yard. |
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| Ferna cremation |
| This samian dish was used as a lid for a burial urn at Wiggonholt. The cremated bones of a woman were found in the burial urn, and the name ‘Ferna’ was scratched on the base of the dish. We think that this is the buried woman’s name. It is very rare to find the name of a buried person in Roman Sussex. |
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| Stylus |
| This pointed piece of iron is a Roman writing implement called a stylus. It was used to write on wax tablets. When the information on the tablets was no longer needed, it could be rubbed out with the flat end of the stylus, or the tablet could be put in a warm place where the wax would melt to give a flat clean surface. Although writing was not widely known or used before the Roman invasion, its use became widespread. It was necessary for traders and shopkeepers to be able to read and write. As more communications were written rather than spread by word of mouth, people became aware of the advantages of being able to read and write. |
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| Seal box lid |
| With the introduction of Latin and writing to Britain, private messages could be sent. To ensure that a person delivering a letter could not read it, a wax seal was used to fasten it, usually with a particular stamp. This seal box lid would have been placed over the wax seal to protect it. It has a picture of a bird on it, probably a cockerel. |
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