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Three thousand years ago the banks of the River Witham, just outside Lincoln, were bustling with activity. Archaeologists knew that buried just below the surface of this fenland would be some of the best preserved, yet fragile, evidence of a major Bronze Age settlement.

The site was soon to be buried under tons of clay when the river's flood defences were strengthened; the archaeologists had just six weeks in which to complete their work. With frequent visits from Time Team regulars Mick Aston, Phil Harding and Francis Prior, this film follows the progress of this extraordinary dig, and witnesses the spectacle of literally thousands of prehistoric finds being unearthed and analysed.

Two thousand five hundred finds - stone, bone and pottery - were recorded in one trench alone. Human bones prompt speculation about strange burial practices in the mysterious Bronze Age. Rare finds such as copper ore produce evidence that this earliest of metals was being worked here. Ancient wood specialist Maisie Taylor analyses the huge quantity of cut wood and reveals the superb woodcraft skills that characterised this brutal period.

This remarkable dig provides a unique picture of a corner of Bronze Age Britain as people learnt to live with the fear of rising water levels and disappearing land. And as the archaeologists begin to piece together the evidence a truly surprising story emerges of the life of this site 3000 years ago.