10 Remarkable Bog Bodies That Will Surprise You

In this article we will discuss about  10 Remarkable Bog Bodies That Will Surprise You. Bogs are great preservers of the human body, whose oxygen-free environment helps prevent decay of the human body.  In addition, excessive tannins, naturally occurring chemicals, are useful in preserving the entire body, including the contents of the human soft tissue and digestive tract.

A human corpse that has been naturally mummified in a peat bog is what is known as a bog body. These bog bodies point to the violent mysteries of the past, where many secrets and violent incidents are hidden behind the deaths of people. In today’s article, we will tell about 10 remarkable bog bodies of the ancient period, which reveal many mysteries of the past.

10 Remarkable Bog Bodies in the World

1. Old Croghan Man

It is believed that the bog body of the old Kroghan man may have belonged to a king. It was found in the Offaly country of Ireland in 2023. The man died at the age of about 20 years, and it is assumed that he died in 362–175 BCE. He was brutally killed. He was killed by strangulation, stabbing his body and piercing his hand.

This bog body is the partial figure where its upper torso was beheaded. The old Kroghan man was wearing a leather armband and a bronze amulet. Also, his nipples were cut. Such a brutal removal of the nipple provides evidence that the old Croghan man may have been a failed king.  10 Remarkable Bog Bodies That Will Surprise You.

2. Lindow Man

This bog body was found in 1984 in Lindow Moss, northwest England. The man died at the age of 25. The radiocarbon date of his death is 2 BC-119 CE. He was killed twice by blows to the head, strangulation, and suturing of the jugular.

This bog body was named “Pete Marsh” by the radiologist. He did an X-ray of the body. Radiologist suggested that an X-ray could determine whether Lindow man’s bog body was modern. The bog body of the ancient period was found wearing a fox-fur band on its left arm, but there was nothing else on his body other than that.

3. Yde Girl

The bog body of the Yde girl was found in 1897 near the village of Yde in Drenthe, the Netherlands. Her death is assumed to have occurred between 170 BCE and 230 CE. At the age of 16 the girl died. She died of strangulation. Her neck is wrapped in a wool band. She was also stabbed close to her left clavicle. The girl had scoliosis, as shown by a CAT scan. A sizable wool cloak was used to bury Yde girl after death.

4. Clonycavan Man

This bog body was found in 2003 in Clonycavan, County Meath, Ireland. The death occurred in 392–201 BCE when the Clonycavan man was about 20 years old. He was killed as brutally as an old Croghan man. He was strangled, his body was stabbed with a knife.

In addition, it was hit on the head several times and its chest was struck once with an axe. This bog body is also a partial figure like the old Croghan man, where only the upper part of the body is present. Lower body parts including legs are missing.

5. Grauballe Man

This bog body was discovered in 1952 in the Nebel Moss Bog near Silkeborg. The man was in his mid-30s when he died. It is believed that the death occurred in the early Iron Age. The man was killed by slitting his throat from ear to ear. His arms and legs are well-preserved.

This is one of the most investigated bog bodies. It is believed that to satisfy the fertility goddess after a bad harvest and with the expectation of a good harvest, Grauballe man was killed as sacrifice.

6. Elling Woman

The bog body of this woman was discovered in 1938 in Bjældskovdal bog near Silkeborg, Denmark. Elling Woman died in about 280 BC at the age of about 25. He died by hanging, and a skin-covered rope was discovered next to her body. Around the girl’s neck was a furrow. Her cloak and her finely braided pigtail were stitched together with exquisite thread. Along with this, a piece of the girl’s cloak was discovered wrapped around her feet.  10 Remarkable Bog Bodies That Will Surprise You.

7. Koelbjerg Man

 This bog body was found in 1941 near Odense, Denmark. Koelbjerg Man was 24/25 years old when he died, and his death occurred in 8000 BC. About the cause of his death there is not any information. The possibility of his death being drowned in water was given importance.

This marshy body is very old, where only a skull and many bones of the body were found. No other part of the body was present. Earlier this bog body was believed to be of a female, but later when DNA analysis was done, it was found that it is a male body.

8. Tollund Man

The Tollund man died around 280 BCE.  The bog body was discovered in 1950 at Bjældskovdal bog in Denmark. It was speculated that his age at the time of death would be 30 to 40 years. He died of suffocation. This bog body is one of the well-preserved bog bodies. His hands are like skeletons. It looked like he was buried wearing only a pointed parchment hat and an oxide belt.

9. Cashel Man

The bog body of Cashel man was found in Ireland in 2011. He died about 4000 years ago. It was speculated, he was a king. His death symbolizes violent  activities. At that time, it was customary to infuse the Irish kings with power through a ritual marriage with a goddess. If some calamity happened, the marriage was considered unsuccessful.

So such a calamity must have happened, due to which the king was killed. The king was taken down the hill to the bog. He was crowned, then he was attacked, hit just as badly. The man was stabbed on his back. In addition, there were sword wounds on his hand. Hazel sticks were placed over the spot to mark the place where Cashel man was buried.

10. Haraldskaer Woman

The bog body of the Haraldskaer woman is one of the earliest found bog bodies of the ancient period. This bog body was discovered in 1835 in Gunhild’s bog, Denmark. He died about 490 BC. She was thought to be the Norwegian queen Gunhild, who perished in the bog through drowning. When she was found, the Danish king ordered the placement of her exquisitely carved casket in his residence.

The Woman was previously believed to be the Norwegian queen Gunhild, but later radiocarbon dating proved that the bog body was not of queen Gunhild. Other studies showed that the Haraldskaer woman was a significant woman. There were strangulation marks on his neck. This bog body is kept in a glass-covered coffin at St. Nikolai Church in Vejle, which people can still see.

Bottom Line

All the bog bodies that were discovered died very badly. The manner of death refers to the violent practices and activities of ancient times. Not every bog body was in full shape. In some cases, arms, legs, or parts of the body were cut off, and then buried in bogs after being killed. From these bog bodies, we get to know about the life and social system of the ancient times where violent activities often took place.  10 Remarkable Bog Bodies That Will Surprise You.