Clay Pipes
Modern day mudlarks who shift through the mucky shores of the Thames recover a lot of pieces of clay pipes. When tobacco smoking first came to London it was a costly endeavor. Consumers loved the stuff but used it in small amounts in the tiny bowls of clay pipes. These pipes had long stems to cool the smoke before it reached the mouth. They were easy to lose and dispose of and extremely breakable. The tide of the Thames was rough on the objects in it’s grasp but it’s mud acted as an anaerobic preservative. The pipes might break but they stuck around for centuries.
Photo- Nicola White