Prehistoric peatland plants and bugs found in UK ‘time capsule’

Frozen snapshot could help revive ancient Exmoor woodland and protect against ravages of climate change

Archaeologists have uncovered a prehistoric woodland “time capsule” buried in Exmoor’s ancient peatlands. The finding, filled with beetles and plant fragments, gives a time-frozen snapshot of the creatures that lived there – and could help restore the area to the richly boggy, carbon-sequestering, tree-filled landscape it once was.

The discovery was made during a peatland restoration project at the Holnicote Estate in England’s West Somerset.