Thomas Chris (ed). London's Archaeological Secrets. A World City Revealed

With Andy Chopping and Tracy Wellman. — New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2003. — 154 p. — ISBN: 0-300-09516-3.Humming with the energy of millions of residents, workers, shoppers, and tourists, London is one of the world’s most vital modern cities. It is also a city of immense historic interest. This extravagantly illustrated book digs deeply into London’s past, examining recent archaeological discoveries that have revised and enriched our understanding of the city’s history. The volume draws on research and excavations conducted by the Museum of London Archaeology Service during the past quarter century - exciting discoveries that have uncovered new information on topics ranging from the river walls constructed by the Romans to outbreaks of the Black Death to exotic goods imported from locations around the globe.
The chapters of the book are organized thematically. They explore these intriguing topics and more:
- London’s rivers, those still existing and those that have been buried;
- the people, their diets, work, leisure, family life, burial practices, and other aspects of their way of life;
- city infrastructure, including streets, sewers, bridges, water conduits, railways, and the underground;
- public and private buildings, such as houses of the rich and poor, markets, theaters, public baths, palaces, and forts;
- products made in the city, ranging from ceramics and leather to bricks and Roman glass;
- the landscape, the environment, and the impact of human activity upon them;
- historic disasters, including fires, disease, floods, and wars.
Each archaeological finding is described in a lively and accessible manner and is accompanied by site photographs. For readers who wish to explore London’s archaeological sites, maps and references to modern street plans and existing historic buildings are included. Examining the clues unearthed from past centuries, today’s archaeologists provide in this marvelous book a new way of seeing and enjoying London - through the many layers of its hidden history.Chris Thomas, a project manager with the Museum of London Archaeology Service, has directed excavations at Spitalfields, for London Underground’s new Jubilee Line in Westminster, and elsewhere.