The first exhibition at the London Museum will be held in its rediscovered network of underground Roman vaults.
The exhibition, Londinium: the making of a Roman city, will be launched in the spring, just months after the museum opens to the public in November.
Using spatial soundscapes and dynamic projection, the exhibit will transport visitors back in time to explore the first 50 years of Roman London and the stories behind some of the first Londoners.
Bloomberg Collection on display
Previously unseen objects from the Bloomberg Collection of Roman artefacts will be on display, including wax writing tablets and a coin from the reign of the Emperor Nero.
Britain’s earliest known example of Eurasian cockroach eggs, discovered in a Roman bakery oven, will also be featured.
Jackie Keily, lead curator of Londinium, said: “The Bloomberg Collection is an extraordinary discovery that has helped us build a picture of life in Roman London like never before.
“Protected by the waterlogged soil from which they were unearthed, this time capsule has preserved artefacts that would otherwise have been lost.
“From these objects, we can begin to picture the intimate and everyday experiences of Londinium’s ancient inhabitants. This was a time of loss, upheaval and hardship but also hope, opportunity and new beginnings.”
The rediscovered vaults
The lost vaults were rediscovered in 2019 after builders broke through a wall during a decade-long renovation of Smithfield’s Victorian General Market.
The 800-square-metre underground network has been transformed into a new space to host experiences, displays and events, with the exhibit marking the first opportunity for visitors to step inside the vaults.
Sharon Ament, director at London Museum, said: “When we rediscovered the vaults, we were determined to open them up.
“They are so specific, so evocative, so mysterious, we saw their potential straight away.
“So it makes me really rather pleased that the first exhibition inside them will be about the Londoners who created Londinium, with real artefacts from their lives from one of London’s most significant recent archaeological excavations.”
Broader Roman story
The exhibit will sit alongside a broader story about Roman London told through the museum’s permanent galleries, which range from its earliest prehistoric inhabitants through to transformative events like the Great Fire, the Blitz and milestones such as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The exhibit was co-created by design agency Journey, which was behind War Horse and the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, as well as the immersive art centre Lightroom.
London Museum opens to the public on November 28, and Londinium: the making of a Roman city will open in the spring.
