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Mudlarking

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Mudlarking

By: Lara Maiklem
Narrated by: Lara Maiklem
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Mudlark (/'mAdla;k/) noun A person who scavenges for usable debris in the mud of a river or harbour.

Lara Maiklem has scoured the banks of the Thames for over 15 years, in pursuit of the objects that the river unearths: from Neolithic flints to Roman hair pins, medieval buckles to Tudor buttons, Georgian clay pipes to Victorian toys.

These objects tell her about London and its lost ways of life. Moving from the river's tidal origins in the west of the city to the point where it meets the sea in the east, Mudlarking is a search for urban solitude and history on the River Thames, what Lara calls 'the longest archaeological site in the world'.

©2018 Lara Maiklem (P)2019 Audible, Ltd Archaeology Civilization Ecosystems & Habitats Human Geography Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Social Sciences World Inspiring England
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Audible Sessions : Lara Maiklem on Mudlarking

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If you love London don’t miss this. Atmospheric, inspiring and redolent of London’s past. A wonderful listening experience.

Fascinating

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I stumbled across this gem in the new releases section and listened to the sample. Was immediately hooked. Lara reading of her own story make both her tale and the artefacts she discovers all the more compelling. I can tell I’ll be re-listening and re-reading for years to come. Have already ordered my paperback copy and am contemplating a move to the UK just to become a Mudlark! 😉

An absolute delight

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Absolutely loved this, from start to finish...what lost and discarded objects can reveal about us.

Engrossing!

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loved this book. The history, the narrative. Really holds your interest. Lara has a wonderful voice.

What a lark.

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I've been following Lara on Twitter for a while. I'm a regular visitor to London, but I've never really given the river much thought. This is archeology in action. Tiny fragments discarded over the years that tell a bigger story. Lara isn't a treasure hunter (although she has found items of value). She's more interested in the seemingly mundane items lost or discarded by ordinary people over hundreds of years and what they can tell us. She's clearly utterly dedicated, having to deal with tides, mud and pollution. She's also an excellent narrator - I liked her voice very much.

A different approach to London history

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