Mudlarking

 

Have you ever dreamed of going on a treasure hunt?

But did you believe that this was something you could only experience via books and movies?

Think again!

 

The book Thames Mudlarking by Jason Sandy and Nick Stevens is a little gem that introduced me to an utterly fascinating world!

Here's my review:

 

 

 

 

"Mudlarking is an amazing hobby which brings people into real contact with history."
Ian Smith, a founding member and long-serving chairman of The Society of Thames Mudlarks & Antiquarians

 

Mudlarking is something everybody can do - even tourists - at the River Thames in London (UK).

Jason Sandy and Nick Stevens are experienced mudlarks and together they wrote the perfect introduction to their fascinating hobby!

Despite the fact that this book counts only 97 pages, you'll be amazed by the amount of info that's offered and by the beautiful pictures.

 

"We are unable to travel back in time, but by finding an object which has not been touched since it was lost hundreds or even thousands of years ago, it is possible to develop a greater understanding of the people who lived at that time."

Jason Sandy and Nick Stevens, Thames Mudlarking (2021)

 

Because of its close proximity to the sea, the water level of the River Thames in London fluctuates by at least 7 metres with the incoming and outgoing tides, twice a day.

When it's low tide and the murky water of the river slowly recedes, the exposed riverbed in London becomes the longest archaeological site in the UK.

Lots of historically significant artefacts can then be found just by walking around on the exposed foreshore. There exist a variety of methods to search for interesting objects: some do it 'by eye' while others use a trowel, sieve or metal detector. But it all comes down to the same thing: "the act of searching the riverbed for historical treasures". And that's what mudlarking is all about.

The reason why these objects are well preserved is that they've been protected thanks to the dense and anaerobic (oxygen-free) mud.

How come then that daily new objects can be found? Well, this has to do with the fact that they get exposed by erosion and the waves of passing boats.

 

"Ever since man first quenched his thirst in its waters, he has left his mark on the riverbed."

Ivor Noël Hume, Treasure in the Thames (1956)

 

There's already been 2.000 years of human activity along the River Thames.

Can you imagine the amount of objects that were discarded or lost unintentionally in its waters during all those years?

The authors present some of the most extraordinary artefacts in chronological order. From the most historically significant, beautiful masterpieces (such as the Battersea Shield and Waterloo helmet) to ornate personal items such as jewellery and fashion accessories which reveal the popular styles throughout the ages. The range of discussed (and almost always illustrated) artefacts is very broad. This gives you an interesting view on the evolution of London throughout history and also on time-related customs.

Not everything is told in detail. But this introduction certainly mentions lots of names and events, which form a good starting point for the readers who want to search for more info. One of the most interesting and respectful aspects of this book is that for every item that's discussed (and there are a lot of them) credits are given to the mudlarks who found the objects. That way you can search on the internet for more information about these people and you often find beautiful pictures and interesting articles.

 

"It's not what you find, it's what you find out."

Professor David Hurst Thomas

 

During the 19th century, the original Victorian mudlarks (mostly children) scavenged for anything on the exposed riverbed which they could sell in order to survive.

Current mudlarks however are often people who're interested in history and in expanding our knowledge of past generations.

 

In 1980, the Society of Thames Mudlarks & Antiquarians was founded and the members were granted a special mudlarking licence from the Port of London Authority, which recorded the extraordinary artefacts found by Society members.

To this very day, it's mandatory to obtain a Thames Foreshore Permit from the Port of London Authority before you go mudlarking  and all objects from 300 years or older must be reported to the Museum of London. These are then recorded on the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), an online database which can be consulted on https://finds.org.uk

 

There's also a new project to which the authors contribute: the Thames Museum.

It will be specifically dedicated to the history and archaeology of the River Thames and the most important aspect will be 'hands-on history'.

The latest news about this project can be found on the website www.thamesmuseum.org

 

Do you want more?

You can head over to my blog to see a movie in which Jason Sandy takes us along on a virtual mudlarking tour and shows some of his magnificent discoveries.

There are also more links to books and websites about the interesting subject of mudlarking.

And who knows?

Maybe someday you'll discover some treasures yourself at the River Thames!

 

 

*Thanks to NetGalley and Osprey Publishing for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Do you also want to feel the thrill of mudlarking, but aren't you able to go to London at the moment?

No problem!

Let's accompany Jason Sandy on his virtual mudlarking tour 😉

 

 

 

If you want to see more videos, you can take a look at the Youtube-channel of Jason Sandy. 

You can for example watch an interview with co-author Nick Stevens.

 

 

Did Thames Mudlarking by Jason Sandy & Nick Stevens pique your curiosity, just like it did to me, and would you like to read even more on the subject of mudlarking?

Then you could also take a look at:

• Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem 
• A Field Guide to Larking by Lara Maiklem 
• A Mudlark's Treasures: London in Fragments by Ted Sandling 
• Mudlark River: Down the Thames with a Victorian Map by Simon Wilcox 
• Mudlarking: A Historical Sourcebook by Heritage Hunter 
• …

If you know other interesting books, don't hesitate to name them in the comments!

 

 

As I already mentioned in my review, there are lots of mudlarks who get credits in the book of Jason Sandy & Nick Stevens.

It's amazing how many articles and movies you discover when you look them up on the internet.

A few of them (but there are many more!):

• Nicola White: she has her own Youtube-channel with lots and lots of movies about mudlarking which can be found here (I'll definitely watch them all when I've got a bit more time!) 
• Graham duHeaume: an interesting article about this mudlark and his beautiful finds can be read here 
• …

 

 

A very useful site if you ever want to go mudlarking yourself, is the one of the Thames Discovery Program.

You can access it via http://www.thamesdiscovery.org/

 

And you?

Would you like to go treasure hunting like the mudlarks do? 😉