At the large-scale, it was hoped to use evidence from surface collections to build up a picture of large-scale use of the landscape in the Mesolithic (test-pitting on this scale was well beyond available resources). Recorded sites appeared to demonstrate interesting preferences for certain locations, however, surveys of vegetation and erosion showed that these were most likely to relate to biases in the visibility of artefacts caused by differential erosion pattterns. Mesolithic people may have preferred south-facing slopes with a good view but it could not be demonstrate as fact.

An approach to understanding the distribution of artefacts came from the 'medium-scale' landscapes - March Hill Top, March Hill Carr, Dan Clough and Lominot. Auger and test pitting surveys demonstrated a wide spread of areas of activity in each location, most probably representing many repeated occupations. These areas may have been important places for hunting animals or watching their movements or for collecting other resources, they may have been sheltered spots on some 'high level route' to other locations, points where different groups met to socialise and exchange goods or they may even have had an important aesthetic or symbolic function. The reasons for coming to Marsden Moor may have varied in different periods, or even in different seasons.

At the small-scale, Early Mesolithic, Late Mesolithic and Latest Mesolithic activity areas were excavated, each having a slightly different story to tell about activities.

The Early Mesolithic occupation recorded within the excavations on Lominot appears to be part of a larger area of activity, including the production of microliths amongst other tasks. As recorded in all the Early Mesolithic sites in this area, people were bringing flint from a long distance (the Yorkshire or Lincolnshire Wolds) to knap on the moors - perhaps a large group were preparing for a communal hunt of a group of deer as suggested by Andy Myers (The organisation and structural dimensions of lithic technology, PhD thesis, University of Sheffield, 1986) or perhaps collecting plant foods growing more densely in the open upland conditions.

Further to the north, the Late Mesolithic activity documented at March Hill Carr appears to represent people sitting knapping flint around a series of hearths, perhaps within some kind of shelter. They were using much more local flint - tiny nodules of flint probably from streams and slightly larger nodules of black chert. The prepared nodules brought to the site were knapped to produce different types of tools - such as blades and microliths. The hearths made may have served different functions - not only to keep warm, but also for pre-heating flint and cooking. Pollen indicators show disturbed soils, suggesting that the whole sheltered ledge at March Hill Carr may at some time have been used quite frequently.

In contrast to the sheltered areas occupied at March Hill Carr and Lominot, the site at March Hill Top was in a very exposed position. Very late in the Late Mesolithic people stopped here to light a fire, and to knap flint. These people would probably have been aware of the 'arrival of the Neolithic', if not agriculturalists themselves they may have known about more intensive exploitation of cereals and cattle, and the large earthbuilt monuments. They used only very small nodules of local flint to make a slightly different suite of microliths than had the people at March Hill Carr. Interestingly, they apparently returned to the same fire to re-use it - it is possible that, given the exposed position and the wide area from which smoke could be seen demonstrating their presence may have something important to them.

No evidence for Neolithic activity on Marsden Moor was encountered, although a very few isolated finds have been recorded. It is possible that peat development (quite possibly encouraged by human clearances, particularly in the Late Mesolithic) made the moor a difficult place to find resources. Perhaps peat forming across the flatter areas of the moor left March Hill Top (described above) the most obvious place to stop in the Latest Mesolithic, rather than any social or symbolic need to build a visible hearth.

Hunter-gatherers leave behind many different types of sites, and this study may have selected biased or unusual sites, but if the activities revealed by excavation are at all representative of the phases to which they belong, it appears that the moor was used in slightly different ways during each phase. Clearly however, many mysteries still remain.