Discovery of Bog Bodies

Author: Coleman Chappell

Bog Bodies are humans that have been remarkably well preserved in the ground for thousands of years due to the acidic, oxygen-poor conditions of peat bogs, which are made up of accumulated layers of moss. Archaeologists have been finding these bodies since 1640 when the first figure was found in Holstein, Germany by a local farmer.

The bogs were reserved as dumping grounds of those who had either been brutally murdered or offered as human sacrifices to the gods. Behind the sad stories of the deaths, they leave valuable clues for us today, showing how their people may have lived, how they worshipped, and what was used to cause the death.

The Tollund Man, the most well-preserved, best looking bog body found to this day. He lived during the 4^th century BC, also referred to as the Pre-Roman Iron Age and was found in 1950 on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. The body’s physical features were so well-preserved, he was mistaken at the time as a recent murder victim that was buried in the ground. He was found wearing a painted skin cap made of sheepskin and wool with a smooth hide belt around his waist. Additionally, the corpse had a noose made of animal hide tight around the neck and trailing down his back. Many believe the man was a human sacrifice rather than a executed criminal because of the arranged position of his body, and the fact that his eyes and mouth were closed.

In 1965, the German scientist Alfred Dieck, catalogued more than 1,850 bog bodies, but later scholarship revealed that much of Dieck’s work is incorrect. Hundreds of bog bodies have been recovered and studied, although it is believed that only 45 bog bodies remain intact today.

Works cited:

Mancini, Mark. “Peat Bogs Are Freakishly Good at Preserving Human Remains.” Howstuffworks,  23 January 2019, https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/archaeology/peat-bogs-are-freakishly-good-at-preserving-human-remains.htm. Accessed on 25 Oct. 2020.

Dell’Amore, Christine. “Who Were the Ancient Bog Mummies? Surprising New Clues” National Geographic.18July 2014, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/7/140718-bog-bodies-denmark-archaeology-science-iron-age/#close. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

French, Kristen. “The Curious Case of the Bog Bodies” Nautilus. 6Aug2015, http://nautil.us/issue/27/dark-matter/the-curious-case-of-the-bog-bodies. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

Staff, History. “What are the bog bodies?” History. 8 May 2008. https://www.history.com/news/what-are-the-bog-bodies. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

Links for further research:

Were the Mysterious Bog People Human Sacrifices?https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/03/were-europes-mysterious-bog-people-human-sacrifices/472839/
This site runs through some of events the bog bodies experienced before death by observing their body parts, looking for gashes, shatters, or things missing.

Bog Bodies
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/bog-bodies/
On this site, there is a four minute video about archaeologists using their knowledge of chemistry, geology, and human behavior to better understand the circumstances that led to the gruesome deaths.

10 Ancient Bog Bodies That Will Amaze You
https://listverse.com/2017/01/28/10-ancient-bog-bodies-that-will-amaze-you/
This site goes through ten of the most significant bog bodies found in history with an explanation on how it was found, cause of death and what we can learn from that specific corpse.

Bog Bodies

Author: Angela Murphy

Image by Sterlingy 2013 on Deviant Art

When someone thinks of mummies they picture the typical movie stereotype of a bandaged up corpse that usually can come back to life in order to finish what they started. Now while the resurrection part may be very much a myth, throughout history this was how mummies where buried, until bog bodies were discovered. Bog bodies is a term commonly used to classify the hundreds of human remains from northwestern Europe that date to the Iron Age (ca. 500 B.C.-A.D. 100). (Lobell, Samir) These bodies, unlike the process of mummification,  could be discovered preserved almost completely intact depending on their burial location. Their organs all still inside of their body, which is the opposite of how traditional mummies where buried. The process of bog bodies includes someone killed and then immediately put into a peat bog. These bog bodies are an incredible discovery, in which some bodies date back as far as being preserved as long as eight thousand years.

            "In 1979, the archaeologist Christian Fischer interpreted the bog bodies as offerings to the god or gods that may have felt aggrieved by the activities of mankind (digging for turf or bog iron ore) in the bog." (Randsborg 116) In several different findings from scientists all around the world, many claim to think that there was several different reasons based on the time period why these people where basically incased into a bog body. Some say as a punishment for a crime that the person made, and others go as far to claim that it was for sacrifice to please the gods. Clearly, as depicted in the words of Christian Fischer, he was one to believe that these bog bodies where a result to try to ease the gods anger. Others even say that it was out of the clear boredom and barbarianism of an ancient society, when speaking in terms of bog bodies predating back to the stone ages. As for finding out the real reasons, research is still continuing to find out more about the motives behind the actions of those who par-took in the process of a bog body.

            The only thing that anthropologists can go by when it comes to learning more information on bog bodies is the research they do on their findings. Their famous findings come mostly from bog bodies that where preserved astonishingly well for their age. One example is Tollund Man, a Danish bog that was found two thousand and three hundred years after he was supposedly sacrificed. "The man--or what was left of him--emerged from the Irish sod one winter day in 2003, his hair still styled the way he wore it during his last moments alive. The back was cropped short; the top, eight inches long, rose in a pompadour, stiffened with pine resin." (Lange 80) Despite many theories, once modern technology came around, researchers discovered that when they thought that these bog bodies had been tortured and beaten throughout their life, it was the toll that the bog took on their body after their death. The bog made the body seem as if it was mangled and constantly put under physical damage. "In Denmark, a team of forensic investigators including Niels Lynnerup of the University of Copenhagen has reexamined that country's bog bodies and found that some of the damage once interpreted as torture or mutilation was actually inflicted centuries after death." (Lange 81)

            Among one of the oldest bog bodies emerged when discovered in 1987 and took the leading role for attention in most anthropologists eyes. "Yde" -- pronounced "ee-duh" -- has grown to be one of the most familiar of the seven bog bodies in the display because of a facial reconstruction that presents the image of a young, blue-eyed girl with shoulder-length blond hair." (Karlovits) This two thousand year old bog body seemed to be able to make a strange undeniable connection with some researchers that where studying her. Studying these amazingly preserved bog bodies is crucial if the world wants to be more knowledgeable on our ancestors cultures. If these bog bodies where never discovered, quite a few things would be unanswered in our world. Our scientists discover and unearth new things every day, who knows what they might find tomorrow.

Works Cited: 

Karlovits, Bob. "Bogs Reveal Bigger Story." Pittsburg Tribune-Review (PA) (2005) Newsbank. Web. 12 October 2013.

Lange, Karen E. "Tales from the Bog." National Geographic 212.3 (2007): pg 80-93. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 October 2013.

Lobell, Jarrett A. Patel, Samir S. "Bog Bodies Rediscovered. (cover story)." Archaeology. 63. 3 (2010): p22-29. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 October 2013.

Randsborg, Klavs. "The Bog Bodies as Social Outcasts." Acta Archaeologica 81:1 (2010): pg116. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 October 2013.

Sterlingy. Bog Body Illustration. 2012-2013. deviantart.com.Web. 17 Oct. 2013

Links for Further Research:

PBS; Ancient bog bodies in the iron age

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/bog-bodies-iron-age.html

This site gives basic information on bog bodies, for some parts may seem confusing.

National Geographic; Bog Bodies

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/09/bog-bodies/clark-photography

This site shows multiple pictures that can mentally give examples as to how bog bodies look like.

Live Science; Oldest 'bog body' found with skin still intact

http://www.livescience.com/38983-irish-bog-body.html

This link goes to an article that talks about a recently found four thousand year old bog body that still has its skin intact.