Human Remains in the River Thames

A startling discovery has been made in the River Thames, with hundreds of human bones found over the past two centuries. New research reveals that a significant portion of these remains date back to prehistoric times, shedding light on the river’s fascinating history.

UK researchers have conducted a study on the remains of 61 individuals recovered from the river, confirming that most of these date back to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Although the exact reasons for the presence of these bodies in the river thousands of years ago are unknown, the high number of cases between 2300 BCE to 43 CE suggests that the deposition of bodies during this time period was intentional.

Nichola Arthur, a curator at the Natural History Museum in London and co-author of the study, published in the journal Antiquity, stated, “We can now say with confidence that these don’t appear to just be bones that have steadily accumulated in the river through time. There really was something significant going on in the Bronze and Iron Ages.” Arthur spoke to Live Science about the findings.

Arthur and her team used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of 30 previously undated skeletal remains. Combining their new data with previous research, they created a timeline for 61 human remains found in the Thames. The remains span almost 6,000 years, from 4000 BCE to 1800 CE, but most originated from the Bronze Age and Iron Age, confirming the “previously reported predominance of Bronze and Iron Age dates,” as noted in the study.

Interestingly, there is a lack of dates between around 300 and 600 CE, which could be attributed to the decline in population in the London area between the end of the Roman period and the establishment of the Saxon trading port of Lundenwic. Arthur, along with co-authors Jane Sidell and Heather Bonney, suggested this possibility.

The team ruled out the theory that bodies entered the Thames through erosion of riverside Bronze Age and Iron Age burials due to a lack of archaeological evidence. Instead, they propose that the Thames bodies from the Bronze and Iron Age might be related to broader ritual “watery deposition practices” found in northwestern Europe during those ages. The Thames may have been a “place of votive significance,” as supported by material culture records.

For those inspired to search for ancient treasures along the Thames, remember that a permit is required, and there is a waitlist. The River Thames continues to hold secrets of the past, and further research may uncover more about its fascinating history.