Another in the series on the history of London up to the time of the Great Fire of 1666, largely taken from my book, “The Flower Of All Cities” (Amberley, 2019) …

Archaeological Finds

A series of Museum of London and other publications either describe in detail or summarise the findings of archaeological excavations at various post-Medieval sites around the City.

There are some useful identification guides in Lara Maiklem’s new book, “A Field Guide to Larking“.

The more important archaeological finds  from post-Medieval  London are on exhibition in the City’s principal museums.    The Museum of London houses an extensive    collection. 

The commonest post-Medieval finds on the foreshore of the Thames are  sherds of – glazed – pottery, fragments of roofing, wall, hearth and floor tile, and clay pipes.   Roofing tiles are sometimes  found  with small angular holes for  metal nails.  Tobacco was expensive when it was first introduced in the late sixteenth century, but became cheaper over the course of the seventeenth, so early clay pipe bowls are typically small, and later ones larger.

Typical Tudor finds include imported German “Bartmann” or “Bellarmine” drinking-vessels; …

… Stuart ones,  locally manufactured imitation “Delftware” table-wares (from Potters Fields and elsewhere). 

Please note that the removal of any finds from the foreshore is now only allowed under licence from  the Port of London Authority.