No doubt plenty of our London-based readers have been getting hot under the collar over the past few years, as the East London line tube extension bumbles its way towards completion before the 2012 Olympics. Yet amongst the plumes of grime and grinding dirge of diggers, archaeologists have been burrowing beneath the tracks to unearth some remarkable objects from the city’s immense past. And Transport for London (TfL) and the Museum of London have teamed up to showcase some of the best finds at some of the capital’s smaller heritage venues. Beginning in June at the Hackney Museum, the exhibition will tour Islington Library (July 7 – August 16), Blackheath’s Age Exchange Museum (August 18 – September 16), and culminate in an extended and as-yet unspecified run at the Museum of London Docklands.
As well as plying visitors with some much-needed PRon the future of the East London line (including models of the new stations), the exhibition’s vast array of curios will educate on the prehistoric, ancient, medieval and modern history of one of the world’s most connected and cosmopolitan metropolises. Objects include stone tools, pottery and jewellery, and the exhibition will provide a welcome follow-up for London’s historical enthusiasts, after the successes of the Museum of London’s myriad events during the Festival of British Archaeology 2009.
Image by Julian.