5 must-see highlights from Secrets of the Thames exhibition

For centuries, the River Thames has witnessed London’s major events and the everyday lives of Londoners, gradually revealing its secrets through the age-old practice of mudlarking. This year, London Museum presents Secrets of the Thames, an extraordinary collection of artefacts discovered by mudlarks who carefully search the shore at each low tide.

Each object found on the river's muddy banks tells a story of London's past. From Roman coins to Saxon knives, medieval jewellery to Victorian buttons, these mudlarked finds paint a vivid picture of trade, migration and daily life across thousands of years.

Our exhibition offers visitors a chance to dive deep into London's history without getting their feet wet. Through these carefully curated objects, you'll discover how the Thames served as the city's lifeline and its lost-and-found department, preserving evidence of countless lives lived along its shores.

We also have artist collaborations which celebrate mudlarking and a special appearance by a celestial object.

It’s very hard to choose just five from the over 350 objects featured, but here’s a peek into the fascinating finds you can expect to encounter at Secrets of the Thames.

Meet Billy Smith and Charley Eaton, two Victorian mudlarks who turned forgery into an art form. Between 1857 and 1870, they forged thousands of historic objects in their workshop on Rosemary Street, near to the Tower of London. These were sold as genuine Roman and medieval artefacts. In their first year, Billy and Charley sold around 1,100 of their forgeries for about £200, in today’s money £19,000.

Drawing inspiration from real ancient objects discovered in the Thames, they carved moulds from chalk and cast objects including figurines and medals of medieval kings and religious objects such as this fish with a saint inside. The objects became larger and more elaborate as the years went on.

These fakes were so good they divided the archaeological community with prominent figures such as Charles Roach Smith defending them. Others, including Charles Reed, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, were suspicious and spotted telltale signs of forgery, such as nonsensical letter combinations around the edge of the medallion above. Billy and Charley were highly skilled, but they made mistakes that eventually gave them away.

On display will be three ‘Billy and Charleys’ as these notorious fakes were called.

And if scandalous stories are what you’re after, you’ll want to read about the history of the Doves Type.

In contrast to the historic mudlarks searching for sellable scraps so they could buy food, today’s mudlarks have very different motivations and a strong connection with the river. Sculptor and mudlark Billie Bond offers a unique perspective as she captures the careful search and the emotional moment of discovery by exploring the relationship between the finder and the find.

By switching the mudlark’s head with that from one of their artefacts, she asks – who is finding whom?

For many, mudlarking offers a peaceful and meditative escape from the worries of everyday life. Simultaneously, each thrilling discovery creates a magical connection to London's past, offering a sense of perspective.

Many mudlarks feel that the objects find them as much as they find the objects.

Carefully searching the foreshore on her hands and knees, mudlark Caroline Nunneley spotted this small bead. The first thing she saw was a skull looking up at her, as she turned it over the beautiful woman’s face appeared.

Carved in bone in the 1400s to 1500s, this masterpiece of craftsmanship was likely made in Paris or London. It was part of a string of Christian prayer beads – rosary beads – that were used to count the sequence of prayers said.

In total, there were 150 beads on a string of rosary beads, separated into groups of 10 by a larger bead. Such beads, like this one which marked the beginning and end of a prayer cycle. It’s known as a ‘paternoster’, Latin for ‘Our Father’ which is the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, or as a ‘memento mori’ which translates to ‘remember you must die’.

It’s a powerful reminder of the inevitability of death and just how fleeting life is.

The thick Thames mud has protected and preserved this iron knife for more than 1,000 years. Who carried it and how did it end up in the Thames?

Looking closely at the blade reveals that silver had been skilfully laid into the iron blade spelling out in runes these letters: ‘OSMHND’. This could be read as Osmund – perhaps the name of the maker of the dagger or maybe the owner.

This knife may have belonged to one of the Saxons who sailed along the Thames and settled here, building their London, called Lundenwic where The Strand and Covent Garden are today.

Vikings repeatedly attacked London. Alfred the Great forced the Vikings to make peace. Did this belong to one of the Saxons or Vikings?

Nestled among the stones and debris on the foreshore was this precious Roman intaglio. It’s a gemstone, probably green jasper, carved to show the sun god Sol driving a chariot pulled by four horses. Sol is wearing a spiky crown, representing the sun rays and he is shown driving his chariot through the sky. In Latin he is known as Sol Invictus – the Unconquered Sun.

This intaglio was once part of a finger ring worn by an important Roman who used it as a seal on letters or in business transactions taking place here in London, 1,800 years ago.

The River Thames has long served as London's liquid highway, carrying people, goods and ideas from across the globe and witnessing waves of migration that shaped the capital. Each mudlarked item in our new exhibition, Secrets of the Thames, offers a unique window into these cultural connections.

Don't let this opportunity drift away.

Kate Sumnall is Curator, Archaeology at London Museum and Lead Curator of Secrets of the Thames.