London’s ancient animal artefacts

London’s archaeological digs have revealed a fascinating array of everyday objects crafted from animal bone and horn, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of past Londoners. The items we surround ourselves with, from the everyday (such as combs), to the special (like our jewellery) can reveal details of both our personal lives and the society that we live in.

Experts in archaeology apply this thinking to items unearthed from the past – both the recent and historic past. The museum’s archaeological collections include many such items made of animal materials, that showcase the ingenuity and resourcefulness of people living in London over centuries.

Here we pick some of the interesting objects from our collection for a closer look. These artefacts not only demonstrate the efficient use of animal by-products, but the quality and artistry suggest the presence of skilled artisans and a thriving economy of craft and international trade.

Bone, walrus or elephant ivory, and antlers were materials used to make objects in the past, many of which we would make today from plastic. Bone was used for items such as combs, like the comb and case in our collection. The carrying case is decorated with a circle and dot design, and one end pivots so that the case can be opened to get the comb out.

More curious items were made of bone, such as a pair of bone spectacle frames from the 15th century. These spectacles were fitted with convex lenses for reading, and reading glasses like this may have become more common around the 15th century when printed books began to appear.

This figurine of Christ was made of elephant ivory in the 1500s and is believed to be of Portuguese origin. Its arrival in London shows a trade route – from the supply of elephant ivory to its sale and possession in the UK. Trade in elephant ivory is now strictly controlled in the UK. The Ivory Act 2018, which came into force in 2022, bans dealing in ivory items, as well as the import and export of such items.

Similarly, this crucifix made of walrus ivory from the early medieval period tells us something about trade at the time. Around the 12th century, walrus tusks from the Arctic seas were brought to northern Europe by traders from Scandinavia at a time when trade in the Mediterranean had slowed down and elephant ivory from Africa or India wasn’t as widely available.

Antler, the horns of deer, was also used as a material in the medieval period. Male deer shed their antlers every year, so these could be collected and made into objects without harm to the animal, unlike with some other animal materials.

Here again, our collection has several examples of tools like hammers and, yet again, combs made of deer antlers – sometimes even combined with bone. Combs served a practical purpose of removing lice from the hair, but long well-groomed hair was in many cultures a sign of nobility. Fine combs were given as gifts and even buried with the dead. Double-sided combs like the one pictured were made by riveting flat plates of bone between antler side frames and then cutting the teeth.

Animal products are still in use today, particularly in clothing and textiles, such as wool, leather and fur. The ethics of their use is hotly debated, and some people are choosing to avoid using animal products as far as possible. Veganism is becoming more commonplace – around 4.7% of the UK’s population is said to be vegan today, compared with 0.25% in 2014.

The rise of veganism has been followed by the availability of non-food items made without animal products, such as shoes and cleaning products. Nevertheless, the use of other materials, such as plastics, is now also under scrutiny and as a society, we are interrogating more and more what our things are made of, where they have come from and who made them.

Many people are moving on from thinking about the convenience and ease of production of materials alone, and starting to think more about their sustainability and environmental impact. Perhaps, the archaeologists will see these trends and stories from items they find in digs of the future.

Meriel Jeater is Curator and Luisa Duarte is Conservator at London Museum.