Life in the Thames Valley Before the Romans

For many people, the arrival of the Romans marked the beginning of London, but evidence has shown that people were living here for thousands of years before the invaders arrived. The Thames was the focus for these early people providing all that they required to live and trade. Prehistory can be found even today all along the Thames and its banks – emerging as erosion both natural and man-made strips the foreshore. Come and explore the unfolding archaeological narrative to be found on the riverside. Discover the ten thousand years of history which lie beneath your feet. The modern city has removed much of this story as it has grown both out into the countryside and down into the deep layers underground but on the river edges, the evidence of our (pre)history can still be found afresh for those willing and wanting to seek.

Dr Fiona Haughey came to archaeology late after teaching and then having a large family. In the 1990s, she achieved a 1st class honours degree in archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL and then later completed a PhD based on the Thames. Since first coming down onto the foreshore in December 1993, her interest in the river has grown rather than diminish and she has a series of articles in a range of publications including the prestigious Oxford Handbook of Wetland Archaeology.