Ever wonder what lies beneath your feet? On 16 July the Museum of London opened Archaeology in Action. The exhibition offers visitors a flavour of the varied day to day work of archaeologists in London, today and in the past. From the ground to the display case, Archaeology in Action gives visitors an insight into what happens to objects unearthed by Museum of London Archaeology.
Countless exciting archaeological discoveries have been made, and continue to be made each day in London. These have greatly contributed to our ever evolving understanding of the capital. Archaeology in Action presents some of these valuable finds. Sites that feature include the Roman High Street unearthed at number 1 Poultry and the Saxon town of Lundenwic uncovered at Covent Garden. There is also a changing display of new finds from London sites, starting with Shakespearean playhouses, including The Rose and The Theatre.
The exhibition space will host a varied programme of events, including a selection to celebrate the Festival of British Archaeology, 17 July – 1 August 2010. Visitors can expect to handle ancient artefacts, meet an osteologist or identify finds from the Thames foreshore.
Taryn Nixon, Managing Director of Museum of London Archaeology, says: “The exciting thing about the Museum of London is that it runs one of Europe’s largest archaeology teams, and has literally been unearthing the secrets of London’s past for decades. This exhibition gives us a chance not only to share our discoveries as soon as they are made but also to show what really goes on behind the scenes in archaeology.”
Jon Cotton, Senior Curator of Prehistory, says: “Archaeology is one of the Museum of London’s key calling cards and excavated finds inform every gallery display. Archaeology in Action celebrates this commitment to London’s buried past and provides a space in which some of the latest finds will be displayed.”
The Museum of London Archaeology is a long-standing and highly regarded in-house archaeological team and has unearthed a wealth of archaeological treasures. These finds are cared for in the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre - Europe’s largest archaeological archive.
Source: Art Daily [July 21, 2010]