Hello From Londinium: Oldest Handwritten Documents In British History Discovered

This Roman waxed writing tablet, dated A.D. 80-90/5, reads “You will give [this] to Junius the cooper, opposite [the house of] Catullus.

Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP/Getty Images

Archaeologists in London have unearthed the oldest handwritten documents in Britain — a collection of notes, bills and contracts dating back nearly 2,000 years.

The discovery, a collection of more than 400 Roman waxed writing tablets, was announced Wednesday by the Museum of London Archaeology. The tablets were unearthed in London’s financial district during excavation work for a new building.

The Guardian has more on the tablets’ discovery: