She picked up the small, exquisitely carved object and showed it to a friend, “and then we turned it over and we went : ‘Whoa’. Because we hadn’t realised that there was a face on the other side.”
What they had found was a late medieval rosary bead, dating back possibly as far as 1450, that had been carved from bone and, thanks to the anaerobic river mud, perfectly preserved for five centuries.
Its twin designs, of a female face – possibly the Virgin Mary – on one side and a skull on the other were designed as a “memento mori” to remind the wearer of his or her mortality.
“She’s just a woman reminding us that one day we were young and beautiful and full of life, and that we have to be aware that time is passing,” says Nunneley, who has held a mud larking licence – as required by the Port of London Authority – for five years.
This story is from the January 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
England dream of sunlit uplands with Sleightholme
Six weeks ago England would definitely have settled for their current position, still mathematically in the hunt for the Six Nations title this season.
Like another Gaza' Yunus on picking up the pieces in Bangladesh
When Muhammad Yunus returned to Bangladesh in August, he was greeted with bleak scenes. The streets were still slick with blood, and the bodies of more than 1,000 protesters and children were piled up in morgues, riddled with bullets fired by police.
Dupont Facing Long Spell Out After Rupturing Knee Ligaments
Antoine Dupont, France's talismanic captain, has said that he ruptured cruciate ligaments in his right knee during his team's win against Ireland in the Six Nations on Saturday.
The next James Bond should be British, says former 007 Brosnan
The next James Bond should be British, Pierce Brosnan has said, as a leaked memo reportedly confirmed the character will remain a man.
Fashion Hourglass return is dandy for McQueen
Backstage after his third Paris fashion week show, Dublin-born Seán McGirr, 36, was asked whether he was growing in confidence as the designer of Alexander McQueen.
Sextortion criminals targeting 11-year-olds
Children as young as 11 are being targeted by sextortion criminals for the first time, according to new data.
'Marked' fall in hiring as firms prepare for higher wage bills from April
Companies are putting the brakes on hiring new staff amid a \"subdued\" economic outlook and rising wage bills, according to the latest business surveys.
Son seals fightback but Spurs paper over cracks
Credit Tottenham for their resilience. Credit their character for coming back into the game. Credit them for battling their way to a point that never really seemed plausible until Son Heung-min converted an 84th-minute penalty.
Liverpool stun Arsenal thanks to own goal
Liverpool completed the upset of the Women's FA Cup quarter-finals.
Stage review Trumpian myth and a family sold a lie
He lies to gain status. His every deal is transactional. He exaggerates for effect. He is seduced by money, deluded about his importance and clearly going to leave his sons with a father complex.
