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Three thousand years ago the River Witham, just outside Lincoln, was very different to what it is today. The river itself, which is now channelled in a virtually straight canal, was then very much wider, 100 metres or more across in parts, winding its way through reed beds and marshes. And higher sea levels at that time meant that the coast was much further inland, with tides reaching the modern-day village of Washingborough.
It was near here that in the cold, wet autumn of 2004, archaeologists were given just six weeks to rescue the fragile evidence of a major Bronze-Age settlement. The opportunity had arisen because of the Environment Agency's plans to update and strengthen the Witham's flood defences. Once the work was finished, the settlement remains would be buried under thousands of tons of clay for another 150 or more years.
With frequent visits from Time Team regulars Mick Aston, Phil Harding and Stewart Ainsworth, this Time Team Special followed the progress of this extraordinary dig and witnessed the spectacle of literally thousands of prehistoric finds being unearthed and analysed. Perfectly preserved in the waterlogged peat, they provided remarkable evidence of the life of a community in the Late Bronze Age.
Thousands of finds
Altogether, as many as 10,000 finds were uncovered on the site. Some 3,000 finds – stone, bone, pottery, metal and, above all, wood – were recorded in one trench alone. The discoveries included an amber bead, shale jewellery, a human skull and evidence of metal working, including a partially worked bronze ingot, a possible stone mould for making beads and a fragment of a crucible used in smelting.
The site has been known about since the early 1970s, when a pumping station was built as part of the river management. But no one had expected quite such a rich array of finds. Mark Allen, of Pre-Construct Archaeology, who carried out the excavation, described it as 'a very important site, an important trading place… As well as making things themselves on the site, including metal objects, the inhabitants of the settlement may well have organised markets here where people would come to trade and buy things that they couldn't make locally.' Many of the objects found on the site would have brought in from some distance away, including metal ore that was probably used as pigment from Cornwall and shale from Dorset or perhaps from Nottingham.
There were also large quantities of cut wood finds, which included oak that would have had to be imported from elsewhere, as well as the products of trees that grew locally. Ancient wood specialist Maisie Taylor and Phil Harding analysed the different finds, which included an enigmatic wooden platform structure, similar to what some archaeologists have interpreted as primitive saunas on other sites, and a finely carved Bronze-Age wooden bowl that Maisie said was of the highest quality.
The results of this remarkable dig, which are still being interpreted by archaeologists, gives us a unique picture of a thriving corner of Bronze-Age Britain, perhaps even an early centre for international trade.
The Collection: Art and Archaeology in Lincolnshire
Formerly the Lincoln City and County Museum, The Collection will eventually house the main finds from the Washingborough excavation. The new museum will include a special section on the ancient history of the Witham Valley and two boats dating from the Iron Age.
Britain BC: Life in Britain and Ireland before the Romans by Francis Pryor (Perennial, 2004) paperback £9.99
An authoritative and radical rethinking of the whole of British history before the coming of the Romans, based on remarkable new archaeological finds. So many extraordinary archaeological discoveries (many of them involving the author) have been made in the last 30 years that our whole understanding of British prehistory needs to be updated. So far only the specialists have twigged on to these developments; now, for the first time, Francis Pryor broadcasts them to a much wider, general audience.
Farmers in Prehistoric Britain by Francis Pryor (Tempus, 1998) hardback £18.99
Wearing both his hats as archaeologist and farmer, Pryor has produced an empathic work on the life and methods of prehistoric farmers. Often what survives is just a few cropmarks, but this work brings what is now obscure into vivid reality.
Flag Fen by Francis Pryor (Batsford/English Heritage, 1991) £12.95
Fascinating account of the discovery of this Bronze-Age site. The Flag Fen Laboratories are where the Seahenge timbers are being studied and preserved. An exciting archaeological adventure story.
Prehistoric Britain by Timothy Darvill (Routledge, 1996) £15.99
Still the mainstay of published British prehistory, this book covers our past from hunter-gatherers to the Romans. All of the 'classic sites' that have shaped our current theories are explained in detail.
Bronze Age Britain by Michael Parker Pearson (Batsford, 1996) paperback £15.99
Based on the prehistoric evidence, as well as current research and debate, this book examines how life in Britain changed during the period 4000-900 BC. Illustrated with lots of maps, plans, reconstructions and photographs.
Enlarging the Past by John and Bryony Coles (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1996) hardback £22.50
The history of wetland archaeology is traced through its major landmarks, with renowned excavations being set in a global context. Lively and informative.