Too Many Treasure Hunters?

When the tide goes out along the river Thames in London, England, mudlarks get digging. They’re people who scour the muddy shores of the river for ancient artifacts like beads, buttons, coins, and pottery. These bits of debris have accumulated in the riverbed over the city’s nearly 2,000-year history. Up until a few years ago, only a small number of people participated in this unusual hobby. But now its popularity has skyrocketed—crowding the river’s banks with inexperienced treasure hunters.

To search the Thames’s foreshore—the area of riverbed exposed at low tide—mudlarks need a three-year permit issued by the Port of London Authority. The agency used to get just a few hundred permit requests per year. Then during the Covid-19 pandemic, interest in mudlarking exploded as people stuck at home looked for activities to do outdoors. Videos of mudlarking posted online caused the hobby to go viral. The Port of London Authority received so many applications, it had to limit the number of permits to 4,000 and start a waiting list. This list is now more than 10,000 people long!

Archaeologists—scientists who study human history—depend on experienced mudlarks. They help with the huge task of finding and documenting artifacts along the river’s banks. “[Mudlarks] are highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals, and they’re there every single tide,” says Kate Sumnall, curator of archaeology at the London Museum.

Experts like Sumnall worry that veteran mudlarks the museum depends on won’t be able to get their permits renewed. Instead, permits will go to people who are less experienced and less interested in preserving the city’s past. In fact, some newer mudlarks have even broken rules about handling artifacts. Permits require that they report significant objects or those older than 300 years to the London Museum. But some have been caught selling or keeping valuable finds.