Designed by Conran & Partners in association with the Museum of London , The London Before London gallery concentrates on the prehistory of London and the Thames Valley from 450,000BC to AD 50, following four central themes:

• Landscape and climatic changes occurring over the period.
• The commercial and sacred role of the Thames in the development of London.
• The dynamism and adaptability of human communities within the region.
• The legacy of this dynamism into the historic era after AD50.

At the entrance to the gallery a short film shows the geographical evolution of the landscape in which London now sits, tracking back to a time when Trafalgar Square was inhabited only by roaming elephants!  A 26m-long showcase representing the Thames winds its way through the gallery, illustrating the river’s fundamental importance in the lives of the people living in the valley in prehistoric times. The showcase is constructed of clear and etched glass, lit with blue light. The exhibits are displayed on a series of ‘invisible’ mounts, appearing to hover in space – or perhaps ‘float’ within the depths of them Thames. On display are over 400 objects, ranging from fine stone mace heads, a highly polished axe made from jadeite, bronze swords, skulls and shields.

In the centre of the gallery are eight long oak plinths with inset and projecting showcases, each dealing with a different aspect of the dynamism and adaptability of human communities in the region. The displays include the skeletal remains of the Shepperton Woman, dated between 3640 to 3100BC, and a reconstruction of her head.

The outer wall of the gallery explores the dramatic landscape and climatic changes that occurred through the region, and human interventions on the landscape. These are expressed as a series of large-scale photos illustrating changing climatic conditions, and plywood relief panels depicting progressive human remodelling of the landscape.