Hand of God (Vindolanda)
The Hand of God is a bronze hand found at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, thought to be from the third century AD. It is unlikely that it was actually intended to represent the Hand of God motif. Archaeology In April 2018, a five-year archaeological research excavation began at the Roman fort Vindolanda in Northern England, south of Hadrian's Wall and near Bardon Mill in Northumberland. The archaeological team from the Vindolanda Trust, along with volunteers, were exploring the Severan period (circa 208-212 AD) of the area known for rebellion against Roman rule. This period was rife with violence and genocide against the local citizenry. A few weeks into the excavation, a bronze hand, the size of a child's right hand, was found approximately 1.5 meters under a Severan ditch and several meters behind a temple dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus. The Roman military particularly loved the god, and the hand would have been deposited in the bog ditch in celebration of the finished nearby temple. Description The hand, solid bronze and about 10cm long, is very detailed and looks very lifelike. It originally had something attached to the palm, but it has been lost. The end of the hand is