Parasites found in Vindolanda drains point to tummy troubles among Hadrian's Wall soldiers

Researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge analyzed sediment from a sewer drain at Vindolanda, a Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall in northern England, and found evidence of three intestinal parasites that would have troubled soldiers nearly 2,000 years ago. About 28 percent of the 50 sediment samples contained eggs from whipworms and roundworms, parasites that can cause abdominal pain and diarrhoea. In one sample, remnants of both whipworms and roundworms were detected, prompting researchers to apply a biomolecular test called ELISA to further investigate. The test revealed the presence of Giardia duodenalis in the same sample, marking the first known evidence of this waterborne parasite in Roman Britain. The lead author, Dr Marissa Ledger of Cambridge, said the three parasite types could have led to malnutrition and persistent diarrhoea, weakening soldiers and reducing their effectiveness on duty.

The study creates a multidimensional picture of health on the northern frontier. Fifty sediment samples were collected from the length of a drain about nine metres long that connected a communal latrine at Vindolanda’s bath complex to a stream north of the site. The samples were split between laboratories at Cambridge and Oxford, where researchers used light microscopy to identify helminth eggs and other parasite remnants. Because the measurements could not distinguish all species by appearance alone, researchers applied ELISA to the most informative sample—the one that contained both whipworm and roundworm eggs—to confirm Giardia duodenalis and strengthen the case for a triad of faecal-oral infections circulating within the fort.

The trio of parasites identified at Vindolanda are all transmitted through exposure to human faeces, typically via contaminated food, water or hands, underscoring the role of sanitation in shaping disease risk. Helminths such as whipworms and roundworms are long-standing enemies of ancient populations, and Giardia is a protozoan infection known for causing prolonged diarrhoea, cramps and fatigue. The researchers emphasize that the presence of these pathogens reflects sanitation conditions in Roman military settlements and highlights the potential for outbreaks to spread among troops housed close together in fortifications like Vindolanda.

Co-author Dr Piers Mitchell of Cambridge noted that Giardia infections can be especially severe in summer months when contaminated water supplies are more likely to be consumed by soldiers on campaign or in garrison. Untreated giardiasis can drag on for weeks and lead to dramatic fatigue and weight loss, he said. While the Romans were known for pioneering sophisticated sanitation systems—running water, sewers and communal toilets—their practices did not include modern hand hygiene or soaps, and waste management relied on open drainage in many sites. Ledger added that there is limited evidence for regular handwashing after toilet use in Roman times, and that fountains or washbasins may have existed but without effective cleansing agents.

Vindolanda itself sits south of Hadrian’s Wall in what is now northern England and was a key garrison site guarding the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth. Excavations there have yielded a wealth of evidence about life in Roman Britain, from leather shoes and bags to textile fragments and the remarkable wooden tablets that reveal both military and private correspondence. Vindolanda predates Hadrian’s Wall in origin but became intimately tied to its construction and upkeep, serving as a staging point for the Roman frontier network that extended across Britannia. The fort’s latrine drain, which transported waste to a nearby stream, is a stark reminder of how daily routines—even the act of relieving oneself—could shape health outcomes in ancient military communities.

The findings dovetail with growing evidence that faecal-oral parasites were common at other Roman military sites across Europe. Earlier discoveries at Carnuntum in Austria, Valkenburg on the Rhine in the Netherlands, and Bearsden in Scotland have similarly revealed parasite traces in archaeological sediments, reinforcing the view that sanitation, water quality and crowding significantly influenced disease risk in the Roman world.

Even so, the Romans did demonstrate notable sanitary ingenuity for their era. They developed communal toilets with plumbing and sewers that transported waste away from living spaces. They also used a sponge on a stick, the tersorium, for personal cleaning, a practice that likely contributed to the spread of infections when hygiene was inconsistent. The researchers caution that these practices, coupled with limited knowledge of germ theory and the absence of antiseptics, would have enabled faecal-oral parasites to persist in close-quarter settings like fort garrisons. Ledger and her colleagues argue that the presence of these parasites provides further evidence of the health challenges faced by Roman military units, the scope of which extended beyond combat injuries to the everyday burden of infectious diseases.

Taken together, the Vindolanda study adds a new layer to our understanding of life on the Roman frontier. The authors say the results illustrate how sanitation-related infections likely circulated within military settlements, shaping soldier health, nutrition and endurance. In the broader Roman Empire, where mobility and supply lines connected distant outposts, such infections would have had implications for operations and long campaigns as troops traversed Britons’ landscapes and faced climates that could amplify illness. The researchers emphasize that even with advanced infrastructure for the era, infection risks remained a persistent challenge, underscoring the complexity of maintaining soldier readiness in ancient frontier forts. As ongoing excavations and analyses unfold, Vindolanda’s sewer system and its microscopic inhabitants will continue to illuminate how Rome’s frontier communities lived, fought and endured on a distant edge of empire.