Gustav Milne

Problems, potential and partial solutions: An archaeological study of the tidal Thames, England

Abstract This paper considers some of the circumstances associated with the archaeological study of the Thames river system in south‐east England. It focuses on work related to the 95km reach of the river below Teddington, examining Holocene archaeological issues in the floodplain, on the urban waterfront and on the foreshore. Plotting the complex development dynamics of the river system itself, over a 10,000‐year period, and the correlation of that information with an understanding of the changes in the patterns of settlement, encroachment and exploitation calls for an integrated multi‐agency, multidisciplinary approach if further progress is to be made.

Excavations on the Thames Waterfront at Trig Lane, London, 1974–76

EXCAVATION OF THE 500 sq. m. waterfront site at Trig Lane in the City of London revealed a well-preserved series of timber and stone revetments on the medieval foreshore. They survived to heights of up to 3 m. and had been erected during the piecemeal reclamation and subsequent consolidation of the riverfront between the mid 13th and late 15th century.The structures are described in detail, and their form and function discussed. Ninety-four oak samples were submitted for dendrochronological analysis, the results of which enabled a relative chronology for part of the revetment sequence to be established and absolute dates postulated.

Further Evidence for Roman London Bridge

Recent waterfront excavations on the Pudding Lane site in the City of London exposed a timber structure to the south of, and earlier than, a late first-century quay. This provisional report describes the structure and its context, and summarizes evidence for and against its identification as a pier-base for an early bridge across the Thames.

The Changing River Thames: Some Thoughts from an Archaeological Perspective

Abstract This article provides a brief introduction to the recent contribution of archaeology and geoarchaeology to understanding environmental change on the River Thames. Investigations following the 1953 East Coast flood and greater waterfront accessibility arising from the closure of the docks-assisted archaeological identification of a long-term upward trend in river levels, resulting from complex natural factors and centuries of human intervention. Archaeology has also benefited from greater exposure of the foreshore, but data collected by the Thames Discovery Programme and its predecessor has shown erosion and tidal scour to be increasing, with risks to waterfront structures. Whether this is a natural development or associated with new types of passenger vessel on the river is at present uncertain.