Page 45 - Discovery Guide

For further information on peat restoration in the Forest of Bowland, visit:
www.forestofbowland.com/peatland-restoration
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HTeritage and natural history
here are additional benefits to the use of these technologies for wildlife and the largely unexplored
heritage of the Forest of Bowland.
The restoration team has hosted experts from Oxford Archaeology who undertook investigations at the new peat restoration sites to assess their archaeological potential.
One of the sites lies close to the ancient Salter Fell Road, where archaeologists found evidence and artefacts potentially dating back some 10,000 years – pointing to periods of prehistoric activity in Bowland.
Archaeologists collected a selection
of microliths – small shards of flint associated with ‘knapping’ – the ancient skill of shaping flint by fracturing it to form sharp cutting edges for knives, arrows or spears. These locations have now been recorded within a digitised archaeological map of Bowland and shared with Natural England for further investigations in the future.
The Bowland fells are also home to rare ground-nesting birds like the hen harrier and, by incorporating ‘geo-fencing’ within the maps, contractors are able
to reduce potential for disturbance by steering clear of known nesting sites and winter roosts.