During the Bronze Age the River Thames was wider, shallower and wilder than it is today. It was a dominant element in the lives of communities of the region. The river empties into the southern North Sea giving easy access north to eastern England and south-east to mainland Europe via the Isle of Thanet in Kent. It provided a major route for the transport of people, animals and objects. Its many tributaries crossed much of southern England allowing large distances to be covered by boat with relative ease and speed when compared to journeys on land. These factors and the presence of fertile soils flanking the river account for a relatively high population in the Thames valley during the later Bronze Age (1500-750 BC).

Many discoveries of bronze spears, shields, swords, pins and axes and even human skulls along certain stretches of the Thames point to a more symbolic role in Bronze Age life. It is thought that these were not accidental losses, but deliberate depositions during ritual acts.