 As with the earlier construction of nearby Battersea Bridge , during excavations workers found large quantities of Roman and Celtic weapons and skeletons in the riverbed , leading many historians to conclude that the area was the site of Julius Caesar 's crossing of the Thames during the 54 BC invasion of Britain . The most significant item found was the Celtic La Tène style bronze and enamel Battersea Shield , one of the most important pieces of Celtic military equipment found in Britain , recovered from the riverbed during dredging for the piers . 
