REMAINS OF 18th CENTURY WHALE FOUND IN THAMES

THE SKELETON OF A HUGE WHALE, THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN BUTCHERED FOR ITS MEAT, BONE AND OILS 300 YEARS AGO, HAS BEEN DISCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS ON THE BANKS OF LONDON'S RIVER THAMES. THE REMAINS OF THE HEADLESS BEAST, THE NOW RARE NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE, WERE FOUND SUBMERGED IN THE THICK FORESHORE MUD AT GREENWICH, AN HISTORIC MARITIME CENTER IN THE EAST OF THE CITY. 'THIS IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST SINGLE 'OBJECT' EVER TO BE FOUND ON AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG IN LONDON', SAID FRANCIS GREW, A SENIOR CURATOR AT THE MUSEUM OF LONDON. 'WHALES OCCASIONALLY SWIM INTO THE THAMES, AND THERE ARE HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF THE ENORMOUS PUBLIC EXCITEMENT THEY ENGENDERED.' HISTORIANS BELIEVE THE CREATURE, ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN 16 METERS LONG, MAY HAVE FOUNDERED IN THE RIVER IN THE 17th TO 18th CENTURIES, OR COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY ONE OF THE MANY WHALING SHIPS THAT OPERATED FROM CLOSE BY. THE SKELETAL REMAINS, WHICH WEIGH HALF A TON AND ARE UP TO FOUR METERS WIDE HAVE BEEN PERFECTLY PRESERVED BY THE ANAEROBIC NATURE OF THE SEDIMENT. EXPERTS SAY THE WHALE'S RESTING PLACE IS INCONSISTENT WITH A NATURAL BEACHING AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY DRAGGED TAIL-FIRST UP ONTO THE RIVER BANK TO BE BUTCHERED. WHALE OIL WAS USED FOR DOMESTIC LIGHTING, WHILE WHALEBONE HAD MULTIPLE USES, INCLUDING FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF , RIDING CROPS AND EVEN LADIES' CORSETS. MOST OF THE ITEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE FRONT OF THE CARCASS WHICH HAS BEEN HACKED OFF. A PIECE OF MISSING BONE FROM ONE OF TEH MASSIVE VERTEBRAE SUGGESTS THE ANIMAL MAY HAVE BEEN HARPOONED, OR THAT GAFF-HOOKS WERE USED TO SECURE THE CARCASS AFTER SLAUGHTER. IT IS ON DISPLAY UNTIL 14.SEPTEMBER AT THE MUSEUM OF LONDON'S DOCKLANDS EXHIBITION SITE AND WILL THEN BE SHIPPED TO LONDON'S NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM FOR FURTHER STUDY.