Twice a day, London’s river tides reveal the foreshore alongside the Thames together with a few of the treasures hidden within the mud, from Celtic, Roman and Viking artefacts on – now on show in a captivating new exhibition on the London Museum Docklands, the place I bought an early search for this Secrets and techniques of the Thames assessment.
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The primary main exhibition on the town’s mudlarks, Secrets and techniques of the Thames not solely shares a few of the most excellent finds, it introduces you to the historical past of mudlarking, from its early days to how trendy mudlarks function, weaving in art work impressed by the apply plus some interactive enjoyable.
Alongside the way in which, you’ll be able to see greater than 350 mudlarked objects on present, together with a Celtic protect, Viking-era dagger, Medieval spectacles, a Tudor headdress, sixteenth century wig curlers, a 18th century false tooth, and a complete room devoted to the Romans.
There are tales of the primary mudlarks, unintentional archaeologists who have been solely trying to make cash as they combed the banks (and some enterprising mudlarks who determined to hurry up the method and create their very own ‘historic’ finds), plus tales of immediately’s mudlarks – you want ability, endurance and a licence to move out within the twenty first century.
As you step inside, a duplicate of the top of the Emperor Hadrian stares solemnly out, a reminder that London has been a thriving metropolis for round 2,000 years – and the river has been all the pieces from a serious freeway to a dumping floor and a sacred website over all these centuries.
The earliest mudlarks weren’t within the historical past although. Principally ladies and youngsters, they have been scavenging for something that they might use or promote – lumps of coal, items of rope, something of worth.
However as they regarded, they usually found different objects misplaced within the silt for a whole lot of years.
As mudlarking was first recorded within the seventeenth century, folks have been getting extra occupied with historical past and antiquities, so a brand new commerce shortly started in these archaeological finds… profitable sufficient that a few enterprising mudlarks determined to create their very own ‘historic’ finds.
The Shadwell shams, a number of of that are on show, included faked pilgrim badges and figures of kings, cleverly aged utilizing acid and river mud – though as Billy and Charley, the pair behind the frauds, have been illiterate, they have been much less profitable making cash with gibberish inscribed across the edges to signify the phrases which needs to be there.
And that’s all earlier than you’ve moved into the principle gallery, set round a recreation of the Thames foreshore, full with replicas of real finds hidden amid the garbage and stones – for those who can spot them (eyes solely).
Peering on the muddy-looking floor, dotted with bits of plastic and bone, I wasn’t positive of seeing something!
You then’re whisked on a journey via London’s historical past, from early inhabitants together with the Saxons (and the Vikings drawn by Lundenwic’s growing wealth) via its growing significance as a port metropolis, buying and selling all over the world, together with the commerce in enslaved folks whose enforced labour introduced sugar, espresso and tobacco to London.
Alongside the way in which, you’ll be able to see the ornamental Battersea Protect, relationship from the Iron Age and found by Battersea Bridge within the mid nineteenth century, in addition to the horned bronze Waterloo Helmet, additionally greater than 2,000 years previous, dredged up by Waterloo Bridge. However there are additionally extra on a regular basis objects: pipes, twists of tobacco, tiny ships created to be toys for youngsters.
Much more fascinating are the tales behind them: a miniature ivory sundial relationship from round 1550-1650 travelled all the way in which from Germany solely to by some means find yourself within the waters of the Thames, the place mudlarks discovered every half in the identical place eight years aside, reunited once more right here.
And there’s a lot to remind us that whereas life in London has modified dramatically, the issues which occupy Londoners are sometimes very a lot the identical – love, loss, faith, trend, food and drinks, illness, crime and punishment.
Wig curlers, like those on show, might need fallen proper out of trend however the shiny colors and ornamental studs of a medieval leather-based belt would possibly nonetheless enchantment.
Discovering Roman choices given to their gods and goddesses would possibly appear to be a convention from the mists of time, however mudlarks have additionally discovered twentieth century Hindu sacred objects supplied in the identical manner, in addition to a Sri Lankan amulet which appears more likely to have fallen in accidentally, simply as medieval pilgrim tokens did a whole lot of years again.
There’s ‘garbage’ too; bones and shells, knives, spoons and even a seventeenth century bottle, together with present day crisp wrappers and empty cans. Look out for some marvellous medical innovations, from a glass eye to 18th century false tooth, plus proof of some much less profitable therapies.
Or think about the love tales behind the rings, full with hidden inscriptions, in addition to a shilling bent into an S-shape and given by an Elizabethan lover to their sweetheart. From video games to chains used on criminals, you may discover each facet of life hid after which revealed by the river’s tides.
There’s a lot to get you pondering as properly. What’s going to future mudlarks discover of our present-day civilisation, for instance, a query inspiring a sculpture by Kabir Hussain utilizing a rent bike which was fished out of the Thames docks.
However whereas that’s simply one of the vital fascinating elements of the exhibition, Secrets and techniques of the Thames additionally seems on the subsequent step as soon as a mudlark has fished one thing out of the mud, with a recreation of the workplace of London Museum Docklands’ Stuart Wyatt, whose job it’s to doc and analysis the finds.
Lately mudlarks should be licensed, so you’ll be able to’t simply wander all the way down to the banks and begin digging and all finds over 300 years previous are delivered to the museum. Essentially the most fascinating items, he says, are those with a narrative behind them – and whereas eye-catching items just like the Celtic protect and helmet stick in guests’ minds, loads of apparently easy finds have their very own story to inform.
A purple clay pipe, for instance, solely made for a brief interval in Jamaica as an simply disposable merchandise somewhat than one thing to be traded, and which has by some means discovered its manner from the Caribbean to London.
Elsewhere, Delft tiles have been fished from their hiding place beneath the river; meant for the previous Palace of Westminster, we will solely guess why they by no means made it – a slipshod unloading maybe? And with the previous palace destroyed and changed, this single field often is the solely proof they have been used.
This is among the most interactive elements of the exhibition, with the possibility to have a look at a number of finds on the reproduction desk, open drawers, see a shard of pottery shut up on a display and get palms on drawing your personal model of finds within the sketchpad offered.
Realistically, the exhibition is finest for older youngsters, particularly tweens and youths with an curiosity in historical past, with no particular youngsters’s path or different actions. Though the possibility to see buried treasure, hidden for hundreds of years earlier than being unearthed goes to enchantment to all ages.
If youngsters are studying concerning the Romans, the penultimate room is all about Roman objects which have survived the centuries – remarkably, lots of them present in a small stretch of foreshore referred to as ‘the Roman gap’, near the primary London bridge.
Some are tiny, just like the intaglios produced from glass and gems, set into rings for use as seals; some are a lot bigger, together with the largest amphora fragment discovered within the Thames. Made in Spain as a lot as 2,050 years in the past, it was used to move olive oil, and it’s enjoyable to take a position the way it discovered itself within the river as a substitute.
Elsewhere, you’ll discover statues of gods and goddesses, tiles from Roman houses, even hair pins and items from video games.
To complete, there’s a reminder of 1 factor which makes all this attainable – the moon, governing the tides which repeatedly cowl and uncover the shore, hiding these treasures and on a regular basis objects alike, and serving to to disclose them a few years later.
So the ultimate gallery, together with a number of audio tracks from mudlarks and movies of them by the river, homes a Luke Jerram moon sculpture, an unexpectedly tranquil encouragement to pause and take into consideration all the pieces you’ve simply seen – and what different secrets and techniques is perhaps hidden by the Thames.
Simply one of the vital uncommon and absorbing exhibitions in London this 12 months.
Secrets and techniques of the Thames exhibition: Must know
The Secrets and techniques of the Thames exhibition runs to March 2026, with tickets priced from £16 for adults whereas youngsters underneath 12 are free.
Entry into the principle museum itself can be free with numerous youngsters’ trails to comply with and the Mudlarks interactive play space for youths aged 8 and underneath (£3.50, prebooking strongly really helpful).
Disclosure: My entry to the exhibition was free for the needs of assessment – all opinions in my Secrets and techniques of the Thames assessment are my very own
Pictures copyright MummyTravels