Artefacts from London’s history discovered during the construction of Crossrail are to be put on display at a new exhibition launching in February, it was revealed this week.

Work to build Crossrail – the largest infrastructure project currently under way in Europe – has given archaeologists a rare opportunity to excavate some of the capital’s most historically important sites.

To date over 10,000 artefacts have been discovered on the project, which is currently more than 75% of the way to completion.

The new exhibition at the Museum of the London Docklands will display just over 350 of these discoveries from archaeological dig sites across the city and will also tell the engineering story of Crossrail.

Lead archaeologist Jay Carver said: “The Crossrail project has given archaeologists a rare opportunity to study previously inaccessible areas of London.”

The exhibition’s curator Jackie Keily added: “From east to west, the Crossrail project has dug through layers of London’s rich history, unearthing a wealth of fascinating stories and objects.

“The exhibition will take us on a journey from prehistoric forests and marshes to the marvels of 21st Century engineering.”

Among objects to be housed in the exhibition are prehistoric flints found in north Woolwich, showing evidence for Mesolithic tool making 8000 years ago, and Roman iron horse shoes uncovered near Liverpool Street station.

Also on display will be human remains including a skeleton found near Liverpool Street station from the 17th Century Bedlam cemetery, whom DNA testing has shown died of the Great Plague.

The exhibition will open on 10 February for seven months until 3 September.

(Photo: Crossrail/MOLA)