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London Archaeologist
@londonarchaeo.bsky.social
360 followers 330 following 36 posts
London Archaeologist is published 4 times a year, for anyone interested in London's archaeology
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Lots of comments about the artefact on our front cover this issue - it's an eel spear!

The spear is currently on display in the Mudlarking exhibition at London Museum Docklands until 1 March 2026.

Photo © London Museum
Front cover of London Archaeologist magazine Autumn 2025 Volume 17 Number 10. On the cover is an iron eel spear. A large, roughly made metal object. It has a central shaft, which would have attached to a wooden handle which has been lost. Curving from the handle, like a rainbow are seven long flat tines, which end in rounded points. The tines are of different lengths and thicknesses, showing it was roughly made and is worn from use, adding to it's charm.
October 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
Our Autumn 2025 issue is out now!

In this issue:

Features:

🏺 Archaeological overview: The Liberty site strikes again! @molarchaeology.bsky.social

🏺 Findspot: A Roman cremation from the Old Kent Road: New light on an old find - Stephen Greep

#archaeology #london
Front cover of London Archaeologist magazine Autumn 2025 Volume 17 Number 10. On the cover is an iron eel spear. A large, roughly made metal object. It has a central shaft, which would have attached to a wooden handle which has been lost. Curving from the handle, like a rainbow are seven long flat tines, which end in rounded points. The tines are of different lengths and thicknesses, showing it was roughly made and is worn from use, adding to it's charm.
October 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
Join us for our AGM and Annual Lecture on Thursday 22nd May 2025, 7:00pm
At @uclarchaeology.bsky.social or online.

This year's Annual Lecture will be: New Research on the City Foreshore with Gustav Milne and Angela Bloomfield

www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk/agm-and-annu...

#London #Archaeology 🏺
A group of people working on the Thames foreshore at low tide. They are planning a series of baseplate timbers which are situated at the base of a modern set of river stairs. The foreshore surface is gravelly, and tinged red due to the amount of brick and tile that is deposited there. There are three baseplate timbers, two running perpendicular towards the river, and the third at right angles to make a U shape. They are approximately 3 metres long, and from a dark wood, possibly oak, with some large mortice holes cut into their topside. Lower down the foreshore near the river's edge, there are further lines of timber piles, in line with the baseplates, roughly 50cm - 1 metre high. There is a long tape stretched down the length of the foreshore, and from that people are taking measurements to do planned drawings of the features. The Thames is running behind them, with Millennium Bridge spanning towards the Tate Modern. A group of people working on the Thames foreshore at low tide. They are planning a series of baseplate timbers which are situated at the base of a modern set of river stairs. The foreshore surface is gravelly, and tinged red due to the amount of brick and tile that is deposited there. There are three baseplate timbers, two running perpendicular towards the river, and the third at right angles to make a U shape. They are approximately 3 metres long, and from a dark wood, possibly oak, with some large mortice holes cut into their topside. Lower down the foreshore near the river's edge, there are further lines of timber piles, in line with the baseplates, roughly 50cm - 1 metre high. There is a long tape stretched down the length of the foreshore, and from that people are taking measurements to do planned drawings of the features. The Thames is running behind them, with Millennium Bridge spanning towards the Tate Modern.
May 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
We're delighted that this year's Annual Lecture will be with Gustav Milne and Angela Broomfield on New Research on the City Foreshore.

Join us on 22nd May, 7:00pm at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL or online on Zoom.

www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk/agm-and-annu...

#London #Archaeology 🏺
London Archaeologist AGM And Annual Lecture poster. Poster text: New Research on the City Foreshore. Gustav Milne and Angela Broomfield. 22nd May 2025, 7pm Institute of Archaeology Room 612, London WC1H 0PY and on Zoom Register at www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk The poster has two images, one is a sepia toned photo, taken side on from the foreshore of a set of wooden stairs leading down from the river wall to the foreshore surface. The other is a modern photo looking down onto the foreshore of a group of people recording timber baseplates at the base of a set of stairs. The river and Millennium Bridge can be seen in the background.
May 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
Join us for our AGM and Annual Lecture on Thursday 22nd May 2025, 7:00pm
At @uclarchaeology.bsky.social or online.

This year's Annual Lecture will be: New Research on the City Foreshore with Gustav Milne and Angela Bloomfield

www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk/agm-and-annu...

#London #Archaeology 🏺
A group of people working on the Thames foreshore at low tide. They are planning a series of baseplate timbers which are situated at the base of a modern set of river stairs. The foreshore surface is gravelly, and tinged red due to the amount of brick and tile that is deposited there. There are three baseplate timbers, two running perpendicular towards the river, and the third at right angles to make a U shape. They are approximately 3 metres long, and from a dark wood, possibly oak, with some large mortice holes cut into their topside. Lower down the foreshore near the river's edge, there are further lines of timber piles, in line with the baseplates, roughly 50cm - 1 metre high. There is a long tape stretched down the length of the foreshore, and from that people are taking measurements to do planned drawings of the features. The Thames is running behind them, with Millennium Bridge spanning towards the Tate Modern.
May 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM
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On the Cover this issue!

This Chinese fire-breathing lion was found during excavations which were conducted from 1998 - 2018 at Bermondsey Square.

Photo © PCA/Strephon Duckering

#London #Archaeology 🏺
A colourful stoneware Chinese lion. It has a spiral-patterned mane running down it's back in a honey yellow glaze and a green glazed body. It is sitting, and it's mouth is wide open, showing it's hollow body. There is some damage to it's bottom jaw, and most of it is missing.
April 30, 2025 at 7:43 PM
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Our Spring 2025 issue is out!

In Volume 17, Number 8:

Features:

Findspot: The aurochs skeleton from Ewell, Surrey @pcaarchaeology.bsky.social

Author, Author... London Archaeological Prize winner 2024 - Jonathan Gardner speaks to @bwallower.bsky.social

#London #archaeology 🏺
The front cover of London Archaeologist Spring 2025, Volume 17, Number 8 featuring a colourful stoneware fire-breathing lion. It was found during excavations which were conducted from 1998—201 8 at Bermondsey Square. The colourful stoneware lion's design includes a spiral- patterned mane with green and honey yellow glazes. It has a hollow body and is thought to have held incense. When lit, smoke would emerge from its mouth to transform it into a fire-breathing lion. It was possibly made in the Fujian or Guangdong (formerly Canton) provinces of south-east China. It reflects the 18th-century British fascination with Chinese imports when such objects like this became very fashionable. The context for the find can be found in Bermondsey Square — Prehistoric and Roman Settlement, Medieval Abbey and Post-Medieval Mansion by Alistair Douglas, published by PCA in 2024.
April 23, 2025 at 8:57 PM
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And Bruce Watson has a new attempt to reconstruct the extent of Southwark's Saxo-Norman and medieval defences at the southern end of London Bridge.

Here's two 12th-century ditches excavated at Bedale Street as part of Thameslink fieldwork ©Oxford Archaeology & Pre-Construct Archaeology.
A section of a ditch on an excavation on a building site, with scaffolding in the background. The section is of dark earth contrasting with the lighter natural. Two ditches and a bank are visible at the base of the section
January 29, 2025 at 4:57 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
Not 1, but 2 articles about #Southwark in our Winter 2025 issue!

Rebecca Haslam and Ireneo Grosso draw on work at Harper Road and Brandon House, and reappraise existing evidence to revise the model of Roman roads in Southwark.

Stane Street under excavation at Harper Road ©Pre-Construct Archaeology
An aerial shot of a group of archaeologists in hi viz with blue hardhats working on a large open area excavation, surrounded by herris fencing. In the foreground there is a stone coffin, then a ditch and line of post holes running parallel with the remains of a cobbled road surface
January 29, 2025 at 4:57 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
In our winter 2025 issue, Edward Biddulph shares some of the highlights from @oxfordarchaeology.bsky.social work at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich over the last 25 years. Including uncovering thus spectacular Iron Age ditch, 15m wide and over 6m deep.
A deep excavation of an Iron Age ditch, on a construction site with fencing and a machine excavator in the background. The excavation is over 6 metres deep, in a large stepped hole, a bit like an inverted ziggurat. Each step is 1 metre high and 1 metre wide, leaving a small narrow trench at the bottom. The large ditch is clearly visible in the section with an orange brown backfill against the natural earth. 9 archaeologists in bright hi-viz clothes and hard hats stand on the steps of the trench, to give a sense of the size and depth of the hole.
January 22, 2025 at 9:51 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
Our Winter 2025 issue is out!

Features:

Archaeology overview: Archaeology at the Royal Arsenal @oxfordarchaeology.bsky.social

Exhibition preview: Celebrating serendipity - The new mudlarking exhibition at @londonmuseum.bsky.social

Historic England consultation: GLAAS Guidance Update
The front cover of London Archaeologist magazine Winter 2025. Headlines are: Southwark's Saxo-Norman & Medieval Defences; Archaeology At The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich; Re-Aligning Southwark's Roman Roads; Preview of Mudlarking Exhibition; Historic England Consultation; Remembering Dr Ralph Jackson The cover image is of a complete set of false teeth which have been dated from 1701-50. The gum fittings were made from ivory; front teeth are human, fixed in place with gold pegs; back molars are blocks of ivory engraved with lines. Wear shows that the dentures were used quite heavily for eating.
January 15, 2025 at 10:09 PM
londonarchaeo.bsky.social
Hello Bluesky! We are a quarterly magazine publishing the latest on #London’s #archaeology, history and heritage. ⚱️

You can subscribe here: www.londonarchaeologist.org.uk/subscribe.html
The front cover of the Spring 2024 edition of London Archaeologist magazine. Headlines are: Excavations at Stationers' Hall, Ave Maria Lane, EC4; The Curtain Road Gasworks at Principal Place, EC2; Monkey Skull from East Road, Hackney; Legion: New British Museum Exhibition; Roman Funerary Bed from Holborn; Remembering Brian Hobley. The cover image is of a ceramic Roman oil lamp, being cupped in a pair of hands wearing blue latex gloves. The centre of lamp depicts a Gladiator falling backwards, wearing a crested helmet with his left arm raised up to his face and brandishing a sword in his right hand. The hole for filling the lamp fits into the angle of his bent right knee and there is a small air hole in the nozzle channel along with a larger hole to take a burning wick.
January 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM