5 0 0 0 ▁BC . ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁already ▁inhab ited ▁before ▁this ▁happened , ▁as ▁shown ▁by ▁ar che ological ▁finds ▁ ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁one ▁at ▁Ho ets mans me er ▁in ▁G ron ingen . ▁These ▁finds ▁are ▁attributed ▁to ▁nom ads ▁from ▁the ▁Mes ol ith ic . ▁Event ually ▁these ▁people ▁left ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁growing ▁sw amp . ▁Near ▁Val the ▁- ▁Ter ▁Ap el ▁and ▁ ▁Nie uw - D ord recht ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁roads ▁through ▁the ▁bog ▁were ▁found , ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁to ▁the ▁Iron ▁Age . ▁ ▁From ▁a ▁military ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁the ▁sw amp ▁had ▁an ▁important ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁protect ive ▁bar rier , ▁especially ▁between ▁ 1 5 8 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁The ▁sw amp ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁during ▁the ▁wars ▁between ▁G ron ingen ▁and ▁Mün ster ▁In ▁places ▁with ▁pass ages ▁through ▁or ▁along ▁the ▁bog , ▁strong holds ▁were ▁built . ▁Bour t ange , ▁O ud esch ans , ▁Nie uw esch ans , ▁Val thers ch ans ▁and ▁Em m ersch ans ▁are ▁examples ▁of ▁these ▁places . ▁ ▁Cult iv ation ▁Initial ly ▁cultiv ation ▁only ▁occurred ▁at ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁the ▁sw amp . ▁The ▁har v ested ▁pe at ▁was ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁fuel . ▁During ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁of ▁A du ard ▁and ▁Ess en ▁played ▁an ▁important