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Armchair HistoriansAuthor: Anne Marie Cannon
What's your favorite history? Each interview on this podcast begins with this one question. Our guests are people who like history and get really excited about a particular time, place or person from our distant or not so distant past. The jumping off point is the place where our they became curious then entered the rabbit hole into discovery through scholarly research, pop culture, documentaries, other podcasts...We look at history through the filter of other peoples eyes.https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id965986 Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Jason Sandy: How A Riverbed Became The Largest Open-Air Museum In London
Episode 18
Sunday, 19 October, 2025
Send us a textThis week’s Rewind episode brings back one of our most memorable conversations—perfect for anyone who’s ever felt that jolt of wonder holding a fragment of the past. Anne Marie sits down with noted mudlark Jason Sandy—member of the Society of Thames Mudlarks, trustee of the Thames Museum Trust, and co-author of Thames Mudlarking: Searching for London’s Lost Treasures—to explore the River Thames as the longest open-air archaeological site in London.Jason shares how a National Geographic segment sent him down to the foreshore, the thrill of finding a Roman bone hairpin now on display at the Museum of London, the camaraderie (and ethics) of the mudlarking community, and what it was like to metal-detect in the Tower of London’s moat. We also talk permits, recording finds, Totally Thames exhibitions, and why ordinary objects—buttons, pipe stems, combs—tell extraordinary stories.HighlightsWhat makes London’s tidal Thames uniquely rich for findsFrom Native American arrowheads to Roman London: Jason’s path to mudlarkingThe Roman hairpin “holy grail” and donating to the Museum of LondonHow the Society of Thames Mudlarks works (and why there’s a waitlist)Recording artifacts with the Portable Antiquities SchemeCommunity spotlights: fellow mudlarks, favorite finds, and a life-changing Victoria Cross discoveryBehind the scenes: searching the Tower of London moat and what those regimental buttons revealedThe vision for a hands-on Thames Museum where visitors can learn on the foreshoreAbout Our GuestJason Sandy is an American-born architect/developer who moved to London in 2007 and discovered mudlarking in 2012. He’s a Society of Thames Mudlarks member, a Thames Museum Trust trustee, and co-author of Thames Mudlarking: Searching for London’s Lost Treasures. He lectures widely, appears on television, and shares finds on Instagram @jasonmudlark.Links & ResourcesJason on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonmudlarkThames Mudlarking: Searching for London’s Lost Treasures (book)Thames Museum Trust: https://thamesmuseum.orgPortable Antiquities Scheme (UK): https://finds.org.ukMuseum of London: https://www.museumoflondon.org.ukIf you enjoyed this Rewind, please follow, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a fellow history-lover. Want to support the show? Join us on Patreon/Ko-fi and keep the stories flowing.Support the showFollow us on Social Media:Instagram: @armchairhistoriansFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairhistoriansSupport Armchair Historians:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistoriansKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductionsBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
