A side question, if I may. Why are there so many finds in the Thames river? It is my understanding that all sorts of things have been found in it (how clear is the river? The ones here are ... sh*t.), from a mace, to swords, to a knife that Arms and Armor sells. If metal is a pricey commodity in the middle ages, how come so many things turn up in it?

M.

Dear M. Eversberg II,

On Tuesday 18 November 2008, you wrote:

A side question, if I may. Why are there so many finds in the Thames river? It is my understanding that all sorts of things have been found in it (how clear is the river? The ones here are ... sh*t.), from a mace, to swords, to a knife that Arms and Armor sells. If metal is a pricey commodity in the middle ages, how come so many things turn up in it? M.

It's true that many items were lost in the Thames, as it's a major thoroughfare into England and specifically London. In the past there was (and may still be) also a lot of boat traffic between the banks, since London has for a long time relied on resources from the river's opposite shore--now, but not always, considered part of the city. But the same is probably true of the Seine, Rhine, Rhone, and Danube, to take some immediate examples. A reason that there are so many finds, as opposed to losses, is that the Thames has repeatedly been dredged to clear the channel and has a great deal of construction on its banks. That makes the chances of finding those items that have been lost much greater than is true of less heavily developed river systems.

I understand that the Thames is one of the less clear rivers in existence, but I haven't set eyes on it in a very long time. Perhaps one of our Londoners can comment.

Finally, at some point the cost of metal--specifically iron and steel--must have dropped. Many knives have been found in what appear to be medieval garbage dumps.

I hope that this proves helpful.

Best,

Mark Millman

It's really a combination of all the posted reasons people have given.

As with Native American artifacts, some of the best finds are always in rivers and streams. One of the primary reasons for this is run off and flooding. Shallow graves become unearthed or erode away, heavier items can wash downhill or get gradually exposed over the centuries by natural water sources. On farms around here, where the ground is constantly tilled yield great finds as well, stream and riverbeds in these areas are prime picking for seeking out artifacts.

Here info on another Thames Find:

Date: About 1000

Most of this sword was found in the Thames near Putney railway bridge in 1905. The point was found a year later, further upstream at Fulham, and the pieces were fixed together. The name of the maker is inlaid in large iron letters on one side of the steel blade: 'INGELRII'. In the 900s and 1000s, fine sword blades were made in the German Rhineland, and were exported to Scandinavia and to England. The names 'Ingelrii' and 'Ulfberht' appear on many of these blades, and must have represented important swordsmiths' workshops.

Accession number: A2373

Place of collection: Putney Railway Bridge, Putney, London [Wandsworth]; Bishop's Park, Fulham, London [Hammersmith and Fulham] [River Thames] [1905; 1906]

Material: iron

Measurements: L (overall) 882 mm; L (blade) 742 mm; W 54 mm

FROM: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk

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Sword Date: About 1000

OK, here are the measurements of the sword:

Entire length: 69 cm.
Blade length: 51 cm.
Blade width: 5.8 cm (widest point)
Pommel: length: 4.4 cm
Pommel heigth: 6.5 cm
Guard width: 10.6 cm.

Dear Mr. Peterson,

On Tuesday 18 November 2008, you wrote:

The water is very cloudy and brownish in colour. That being said the Thames is one of the cleanest rivers in Europe :)

Thank you very much for mentioning this; it hadn't even occurred to me when I wrote my original post. Because of the large amount of silt carried down the Thames, the riverbed is very muddy. Iron objects buried in it benefit from an anoxic environment, being protected from corrosion by the silt and mud. They also tend to be covered quickly, which further helps to protect them from rust. So there's a question of differential preservation as well, in which the Thames has an advantage over other rivers.

Best,

Mark Millman

I believe trash was deposited along the banks of the Thames for years.

I figured you would lose items there from capsized boats, but I wouldn't have figured you would simply toss knives and the like out. Good point on the silt, too.

M.