Construction of the A585 Windy Harbour bypass has revealed a glimpse of life thousands of years ago thanks to UCLan students

Work on the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool bypass and junction improvement project has provided a glimpse of early life on a watery Fylde peninsula thousands of years ago.
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Archaeology undergraduates from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) are volunteering alongside a team of professional archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology North, based in Lancaster, who are investigating nationally important prehistoric sites along the route of Highways England’s new £150 million A585 bypass near Poulton.

Fifteen students started a four-week excavation earlier this month where they have been able to learn first-hand about the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages - between almost 14,000 and 5,000 years ago.

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Highways England and Kier are facilitating the opportunity and increasing the area available for the students to work on safely. Precautions are in place to maintain social distancing and hygiene standards in line with Government guidance and industry standards to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

UCLan students have been helping out at the A585 bypass archaeology projectUCLan students have been helping out at the A585 bypass archaeology project
UCLan students have been helping out at the A585 bypass archaeology project

Windy Harbour, at the eastern end of the planned bypass, is near the south bank of the River Wyre but is more than six miles from the sea. However, it was thought to be completely under water and then part of a coastal salt marsh thousands of years ago when it was fished by hunter gatherers and later settled by early Bronze Age farmers.

Jon Stokes, Highways England’s senior project manager for the Windy Harbour to Skippool scheme, said: “Highways England is always keen to ensure all our projects deliver community benefits during construction. Given the current Covid-19 restrictions and the fact these important excavations are virtually on the University’s doorstep we’re delighted to welcome UCLan students to the site and hope they find the archaeology as fascinating as we have."

Finds from the excavations so far include ancient pollen, wood, leaves, hazelnuts and charred seeds and fruits which have been preserved in waterlogged deposits and provide clues about how people lived and developed from hunter-gatherers living on the coast to early farmers making a living from salt marshes.

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As well as undertaking the level of practical experience required as part of their course, the students will get an insight into the working practices on commercial archaeological excavations which take place ahead of development.

An ancient leaf found during the digAn ancient leaf found during the dig
An ancient leaf found during the dig

The students and accompanying staff will be in addition to the team of professional archaeologists already working on the site, increasing the amount of archaeology that can be examined over the extensive road scheme.

The students are accompanied by Vicki Cummings, a professor of Neolithic archaeology and specialises in the Mesolithic and Neolithic of Britain and Ireland.

She said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to work on a nationally important site alongside professional archaeologists. At UCLan we really value practical work experience, our industry links mean despite the coronavirus pandemic, we have still been able to offer important fieldwork opportunities to our students.”

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Vicki is also joined by Rick Peterson a reader in archaeology at UCLan and specialises in the Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeology of Britain.

Some of the other finds at the Windy Harbour siteSome of the other finds at the Windy Harbour site
Some of the other finds at the Windy Harbour site

Fraser Brown, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to provide UCLan students with the opportunity to come out and join the team at nearby Windy Harbour, and are very pleased that they will be accompanied on site by their course directors.

"The students won't replace archaeologists by doing work for which funding has been agreed with the client but will add to the amount of archaeology that can be examined over this extensive road scheme. Additionally, it will be great to have the expertise of Rick Peterson and Vicki Cummings so close at hand.”