Researchers analyzing historical sewer drains on the Roman fort of Vindolanda close to Hadrian’s Wall have discovered clear proof that folks dwelling on the web site have been contaminated with three intestinal parasites: roundworm, whipworm, and Giardia duodenalis.
All three parasites unfold via poor sanitation, usually when meals, water, or palms are contaminated with human feces. Roundworms can develop to 20-30cm in size, whereas whipworms attain about 5cm. Giardia duodenalis is a microscopic protozoan parasite identified for inflicting outbreaks of diarrhea. This discovery marks the primary confirmed proof of Giardia duodenalis in Roman Britain.
Vindolanda and Rome’s Northern Frontier
Vindolanda was situated close to Hadrian’s Wall in what’s now northern England. Hadrian’s Wall was constructed by the Romans within the early 2nd century AD to guard the province of ‘Britannia’ from northern tribes and remained in use till the late 4th century. The fort itself sits between Carlisle and Corbridge in Northumberland, Britain.
The wall stretches east to west from the North Sea to the Irish Sea and was constructed with forts and towers positioned at common intervals. These defenses have been manned by infantry, archers, and cavalry models drawn from throughout the Roman Empire.
A Web site Recognized for Distinctive Preservation
Vindolanda is well-known for the outstanding preservation of natural supplies inside its waterlogged soil. Archaeologists have uncovered greater than 1,000 skinny picket writing tablets that document each day life on the fort, together with over 5,000 Roman leather-based footwear.
How the Sewer Samples Have been Studied
The parasite investigation targeted on sediment collected from a sewer drain linked to a latrine block at a third century CE tub complicated. The work was carried out collectively by researchers from the schools of Cambridge and Oxford and printed within the journal Parasitology.
Scientists collected 50 sediment samples alongside the drain, which measured about 9 meters and carried waste from the communal latrine to a stream north of the fort. Objects recovered from the drain included Roman beads, fragments of pottery, and animal bones.
The samples have been divided between laboratories at Cambridge and Oxford, the place researchers examined them underneath microscopes to seek for historical helminth eggs. Helminths are parasitic worms that infect people and different animals.
Proof of Worms and Giardia An infection
About 28% of the samples contained eggs from both roundworm or whipworm. One pattern confirmed proof of each species. That same sample was further tested using a bio-molecular method known as ‘ELISA’, which works by using antibodies that bind to proteins produced by single-celled organisms. This test revealed traces of Giardia duodenalis.
The research team also examined sediment linked to an earlier fort dating to the 1st century CE. That fort was built around 85 CE and abandoned by 91/92 CE. The sample came from a ditch that formed part of the fort’s defensive system and contained both roundworm and whipworm eggs.
How Parasites Affected Roman Soldiers
“The three types of parasites we found could have led to malnutrition and cause diarrhea in some of the Roman soldiers,” said Dr. Marissa Ledger, who led the Cambridge portion of the study as part of her PhD at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology.
“While the Romans were aware of intestinal worms, there was little their doctors could do to clear infection by these parasites or help those experiencing diarrhea, meaning symptoms could persist and worsen. These chronic infections likely weakened soldiers, reducing fitness for duty. Helminths alone can cause nausea, cramping, and diarrhea.”
Study senior author Dr. Piers Mitchell, an Affiliated Scholar at Cambridge’s McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, explained that Giardia could have caused serious illness during warmer months. “Some soldiers could have become severely ill from dehydration during summer outbreaks of Giardia, which are often linked to contaminated water and can infect dozens of people at a time. Untreated giardiasis can drag on for weeks, causing dramatic fatigue and weight loss.”
Mitchell also noted that “The presence of the fecal-oral parasites we found suggests conditions were ripe for other intestinal pathogens such as Salmonella and Shigella, which could have triggered additional disease outbreaks.”
How Vindolanda Compares to Other Roman Sites
According to the researchers, the dominance of fecal-oral parasites at Vindolanda closely matches findings from other Roman military sites, including Carnuntum in Austria, Valkenburg on Rhine in the Netherlands, and Bearsden in Scotland. In contrast, large Roman cities such as London and York show a wider variety of parasites, including fish and meat tapeworms.
“Despite the fact that Vindolanda had communal latrines and a sewer system, this still did not protect the soldiers from infecting each other with these parasites,” said Dr. Patrik Flammer, who analyzed samples at the University of Oxford.
What Ancient Parasites Reveal About Roman Life
“The study of ancient parasites helps us to know the pathogens that infected our ancestors, how they varied with lifestyle, and how they changed over time,” said Prof Adrian Smith, who led the Oxford laboratory involved in the research.
Dr. Andrew Birley, CEO of the Vindolanda Charitable Trust and leader of ongoing excavations at the site, said the findings continue to reshape our understanding of life on Rome’s northern frontier. “Excavations at Vindolanda continue to find new evidence that helps us to understand the incredible hardships faced by those posted to this northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago, challenging our preconceptions about what life was really like in a Roman frontier fort and town.”
W. H. Auden’s well-known poem about a miserable Roman soldier guarding a rain-soaked wall in northern Europe mentions “lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose.” Based on this research, serious stomach trouble could easily be added to that list.
Reference: “Parasite infections at the Roman fort of Vindolanda by Hadrian’s Wall, UK” by Marissa L. Ledger, Patrik G. Flammer, Adrian L. Smith, Andrew Birley and Piers D. Mitchell, 2 December 2025, Parasitology.
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182025101327
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