illustration of a palisade at the reconstructed prehistoric village of Flag Fen, Peterborough.

"Copyright Gareth Monger. Used with permission."

illustration of a watchtower and roundhouse at the reconstructed prehistoric village of Flag Fen, Peterborough.

"Copyright Gareth Monger. Used with permission."

Perforated part skull and antlers of a red deer – 7500 BC early Mesolithic one of 21 similar deer skull headdresses found at Starr Carr North Yorkshire. (British Museum)

The front of the gold cape found in Mold, Wales. Dating from the Early/Middle Bronze Age, both shoulders and missing fragments were restored by the British Museum conservator Ian MacIntyre. (British Museum)

The back of the gold cape found in Mold, Wales. Dating from the Early/Middle Bronze Age, both shoulders and missing fragments were restored by the British Museum conservator Ian MacIntyre.(British Museum)

gold hoard of armlets found in a pottery vessel; Late Bronze Age 1100 – 800 BC (British Museum)

Early Bronze Age 1900 – 1600 BC; Amber necklace and gold discs found at Lake, Wiltshire; nr Stonehenge, discovered during a Barrow grave burial excavation in 1808.(British Museum)

Cave deposits of bronzes: socketed knife; two spearheads, four pins, five rings, socketed axe, naveband, tongs, and broken sword. Late Bronze Age 1000 – 800 BC. Heathery Burn, County Durham.(British Museum)

Large flat bronze axes Early bronze Age 2200 – 2000 BC, Dunnygarron, Ireland.(British Museum)

This rare decorated bronze dagger with metal hilt dates to the Early Bronze Age 1700 – 1500 BC, was deposited in the River Thames as an offering to the water deity.(British Museum)

Bronze ceremonial axeheads: Middle Bronze Age 1600 – 1300 BC, from Hungary.(British Museum)

Ceremonial Halberd (British Museum)

Three stone carved balls; Later Neolithic 3000 – 2000 BC, found at Novar, Ross-shire, and Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Over 400 of these stone carved balls have been discovered at sites mainly in the north and east of Scotland.(British Museum)

Seven flint arrowheads – Suffolk England, Copper Age to Early Bronze Age 2500 – 1500 BC. A collection of barbed and tanged arrowheads, dating from the beginning of the Beaker period (Early Copper Age) through to the Early Bronze Age.

Three hollow based arrowheads from Ireland, Copper Age/ Early Bronze Age 2500 – 1500 BC. This type of arrowhead is exclusive to Ireland although some identical ones have been found in parts of mainland Britain.

Flint daggers Early Bronze Age, 2200 – 1900 BC. Lambourn Seven Barrows, Berkshire, Lode Fen, Cambridgeshire.(British Museum)

Brass dagger Early Bronze Age 1700 – 1500 BC. (British Museum)

Gold Collar; Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal. Late Bronze Age to Earliest Iron Age 900 – 700 BC. This elaborate neck ornament made from gold is one of the finest examples of jewellery found in Bronze Age Europe (British Museum)

Decorated bronze dagger found in Italy, Early Bronze Age 1900 – 1600 BC, (British Museum)

Crouched burial – Grave goods; comma -shaped and fish tail knives; found at Abydos, Egypt Predynastic 3200 BC. Both were made from a flint-like rock known as chert.(British Museum)

Crouched burial – Grave goods; comma -shaped and fish tail knives; found at Abydos, Egypt Predynastic 3200 BC. Both were made from a flint-like rock known as chert. (British Museum)

Stone and flint axeheads Neolithic 4000 – 2000 BC found at Teddington, Greater London, Westmorland, Southwold, Suffolk, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire.(British Museum)

Antler harpoon Upper Palaeolithic (France), 1050 BC, the antler base fitted into a wooden shaft.(British Museum)

Stone battle-axes copper age 2300 - 2100 BC, and the Early Bronze Age 1700 -1500 BC from Standlow, Derbyshire; Snowshill, Gloucestershire, England.(British Museum)

Four stone mace-heads from Scotland, England and Ireland Later Neolithic/ Copper Age 3000 – 2000 BC. Caithness, Highland, Lough Gur, County Limerick, River Thames Hammersmith, Greater London: River Thames.(British Museum)

Fish hooks and gorges; France Upper Palaeolithic 10,500 BC, these would have been baited – and used for line fishing, some designs depict fish caught on lines. Fragments of line found on some the antler made hooks and gorges was made of animal hair and sinew.(British Museum)

Gold ornament hoard : two torcs (neckrings), four bracelets and three unfinished pieces, Middle Bronze Age 1300 -1100 BC found at Towednack, Cornwall.(British Museum)

Gold hoard of two neckrings and three bracelets found in a pottery vessel: Late Bronze Age 1100 – 800 BC, found at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The finely decorated earthenware bowl for everyday use contained a hoard of gold objects weighing over 2kg.(British Museum)

Barrow Objects: A hoard of four decorated axes from Wold Farm, Willerby, North Yorkshire. Early Bronze Age 1900 – 1700 BC, they were discovered buried in the body of a burial mound 8 feet east from the centre – where at least three other successive deep grave burials had been - during excavations of a barrow by Canon Greenwell (British Museum)

Bronze Hoard photo 1: consisting of a socketed spearhead, six tanged spearheads, dagger and halberd. Early Bronze Age 1700 – 1500 BC, from Arreton Down, Isle of Wight.(British Museum)

Bronze Hoard photo 1: A set of four flanged bronze axes, Early Bronze Age 1700 – 1500 BC, from Arreton Down, Isle of Wight. (British Museum)

The Sheepen Cauldron; produced in East Anglia & Essex 1,100 BC. This cauldron made from sheet bronze was deliberately buried in a pit at Sheepen, Colchester perhaps as a votive offering.(Colchester Castle Museum)

Impressed ware bowl – Later Neolithic 3300 – 2700 BC, found in the River Thames at Hedsor, Buckinghamshire.(British Museum)

The Rillaton gold cup Early Bronze Age 1700 – 1500 BC discovered around 1837 at Rillaton, Cornwall in a large stone cairn, along with a bronze dagger that has not survived. These prized possessions were placed in graves – cups from this period were made of gold, amber, silver and shale, compare the Ringlemere gold cup.(British Museum)

Large painted pottery vessel from the Ukraine, Late Neolithic/Copper Age 3700 – 3500 BC, this pot is typical of painted pottery styles from this period which were decorated using red, black and white paint.(British Museum)

Jadeite axehead; Earlier Neolithic 4,000 – 3,300 BC, found at Canterbury, Kent. Jadeite from the Italian Alps – a similar axe was found at the Sweet Track, an Early Neolithic trackway in Somerset.(British Museum)

Horse engraving on a rib fragment Upper Palaeolithic 10, 500 BC from Robin Hood Cave, Cresswell Crags, Derbyshire. The oldest known piece of artwork found in Britain. Reindeer engravings on rib bones Upper Palaeolithic France 10, 500 BC, one item depicts three reindeer heads and an ibex; a type of wild mountain goat (now extinct). Another fragment shows two reindeer the complete animal has a spear in its chest.(British Museum)

Stone Wristguards; Copper Age/ Early Bronze Age 2500 – 1900 BC, found at Driffield, East Yorkshire, Brandon Fields, Suffolk, Mildenhall, Suffolk, and NP, Ireland.(British Museum)

The bronze horn; found at Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland, Late Bronze Age 1000 – 800 BC. Bronze Age horns are extremely rare finds and are only found in parts of Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, and Poland. This horn is from the south-west Ireland group and differs greatly in comparison to the northern Ireland group as this particular instrument has its blow hole to the side.(British Museum)

The bronze horn; found at Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland, Late Bronze Age 1000 – 800 BC. Image 2 (British Museum)

Bronze shield 1200 - 900 BC from the River Thames, London. Beaten metal shields such as this one were used for display purposes only - as they offered the owner little protection in battle. (Museum of London)

Bronze shield no.2 1200 - 900 BC from the River Thames, London. (Museum of London)

Bronze shield no.3.1200 - 900 BC from the River Thames, London. The spiral pattern-effect on this shield was designed to give the impression of movement. (Museum of London)

Decorated bowl, Earlier Neolithic 3700 – 3300 BC, found at Lion Point, Clacton, Essex. East Anglian/Mildenhall style.

(British Museum)

Grimstone wear bowl - the earliest pottery style known in Britain, found at Layer-de-la-Haye, 4,000 - 3,000 BC.(Colchester Castle Museum).

Three carved chalk drums; Later Neolithic/ Copper Age, 2500 – 2000 BC, found at Folkton, North Yorkshire. These three elaborately carved cylinders were found placed behind the head and hips of a child’s skeleton in a round barrow (British Museum)

Prehistoric gold cup:

The Ringlemere gold cup dating from the Bronze Age found at Ringlemere farm nr Sandwich Kent (period 4) 1700 - 1500 BC. The cup is remarkably similar to the Rillaton Cup (British Museum)

Prehistoric gold torc 1000 BC. (Norwich Castle Museum)

Three polished Neolithic axes (Norwich Castle Museum)

Prehistoric gold bracelets 1000 BC (Norwich Castle Museum)

Prehistoric chieftains jewellery image 3: these ornate strips of embossed gold would have been worn as decoration possibly over a garment. (Norwich Castle Museum)

Prehistoric jewellery: amber beads, gold leaf, and ring 1000 BC. (Norwich Castle Museum)

Prehistoric gold rings: believed by some to be ring money, but now thought to be a type of hair decoration 1000 BC. (Norwich Castle Museum)

A polished Neolithic flint axe and a decorated bronze axe - from the Bronze Age. (Norwich Castle Museum)

Two bronze palstave axes from Witham & Essex 1,500 BC. (Colchester Castle Museum)

Three Bronze Age axes, made of Copper, and bronze, one of the axes has been tinned at the edge. (Norwich Castle Museum)

Metalwork 1500 – 1000 BC

A collection of various types of bronze axes and spearheads found in the River Thames, area London.(Museum of London)

Metalwork 1500 – 1000 BC

A collection of various bronze swords and rapiers found in the River Thames, London. (Museum of London)

Unique bronze spearhead with four loops for lashing to a shaft, which was probably around 5 - 6ft in length and made from ash. Found in the River Thames, London.1500-1000 BC (Museum of London) Image1

Unique bronze spearhead with four loops for lashing to a shaft, which was probably around 5 - 6ft in length and made from ash. Found in the River Thames, London.1500-1000 BC (Museum of London)

Bronze looped spearhead from the River Thames,London 1500-1000 BC. (Museum of London)

Bronze ribbed spearhead image 2.from the River Thames. 1500-1000 BC (Museum of London)

Bronze leaf-shaped spearhead - from the River Thames. 1500-1000 BC (Museum of London)

Bronze ribbed spearhead and rapier from the River Thames. 1500-1000 BC (Museum of London)

A pair of bronze socketed axes from the River Thames, London 1500-1000 BC (Museum of London).

Top:Replica arrows dating from the prehistoric periods. below left: Neolithic polished flint axe c.2300 BC, right: Iron Age pottery from the former Iron Age settlement at West Stow

Gold and amber beads from the grave of a high status individual found at Rochford, Essex 1,800 BC. (Colchester Castle Museum)

Neolithic bead set, the amber probably originated from the Baltic. (Norwich Castle Museum)

A display of Bronze Age flint arrowheads. (Norwich Castle Museum)

A collection of Neolithic flint tools: Top left: discoidal knives, bottom left and extreme right: Convex and Piano scrapers. The pictures featured in this gallery - courtesy of Norwich Castle Museum, and West Stow Exhibition Centre, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Replica Neolithic axe (Norwich Castle Museum)

Stone battleaxe 4,000 - 3,000 BC found in Essex.(Colchester Castle Museum).

Stone battleaxe from London 4,000 - 3,000 BC (Museum of London)

The Dagenham Idol

The wooden figurine carved from scot's pine dates to 2500 BC and is the second oldest depiction of a human known in Britain. It was found about 20 feet below the surface in an area of marshland on the north bank of the River Thames at Dagenham, Essex. The Idol is currently on display at (Colchester Castle Museum).

Scot's pine replica of the Dagenham Idol. Made by Damian Goodburn. (Museum of London)

Replica beater or club made of alder from the Thames, World's End Chelsea, London. Made by Damian Goodburn. (Museum of London)

The facial reconstruction model of the 'Shepperton Woman' who was buried together with a wolves head, pottery bowls and flint tools inside small circular religious site at Staines Road farm, Shepperton, London c.3500 BC. She was probably aged around 30 when she died. (Museum of London)

Late Bronze Age Body Ornaments:

1. Gold lock rings which date from the late Bronze Age were possibly worn on the hair or ear

2. Gold pennanular rings on the head and torso - may have been worn as nose rings, or on the ear, or in plaited hair, and even as belly button rings.

3. Gold torc bracelet, may also have been worn as an anklet.

4. Gold lunulae neck ornament. (British Museum)