Archaeology of Hatfield and Thorne

Over the past four decades, extensive research has been conducted on the Archaeology of Hatfield and Thorne Moors, resulting in the discovery of important Bronze Age and Neolithic trackways.

Hatfield and Thorne Moors are currently using conservation and management strategies to produce positive outcomes for the niche environments of the peat, the archaeological assets and ecologies with the aim to create a working balance between the different requirements.

One of the most notable antiquarian source for the site is Hunter who gives a detailed description of the local histories and tales of the area, including an unproven find of a bog body in Hatfield.

[11] John Tomlinson focused on the drainage and history of the region recording finds and the existence of the 15th century hermitage on Lindholme Island at the centre of Hatfield Moors.

[17][18] The Lindholme trackway was designated a scheduled monument by Historic England in 2017 [19] The both moorlands have been the focus of vast palaeoenvironmental studies with some results published in journals, reports or monograph form.

Palynological and archaeoentomological (Coleoptera) analyses account for most of the work on both moors to date, with significant plant macrofossil, peat humification and testate amoebae studies also included.

[9] There are limited micromorphological analysis' regarding the interface between the pre-peat-land-surfaces and the base of the peat on the moors- primarily aimed at identifying evidence for the disturbance caused by forest clearance, ploughing, and other human activity enabling a comparison to be made.