Mystery of Europe’s ‘bog bodies’ fascinates scientists in new study

Figures preserved in peat bogs across Europe often met a 'gruesome' end.

A team of scientists have taken a deep look at so-called ‘bog bodies’, the remains of humans naturally mummified in a peat bog.

It turns out, these bodies are all over Europe. And, in most cases, they’re what’s left of someone who met a ‘gruesome’ end.

What makes them so intriguing from a scientific standpoint is that they can often reveal clues about what life was like up to a thousand years ago.

For example, one corpse christened the ‘Porsmose Man’ dates back to the Neolithic period. He was found with bone arrowheads embedded in his skull and sternum.

In a newly published study, an international team of archaeologists examined over 1,000 individual ‘bog bodies’ from 266 sites across Europe. They were able to take a forensic look at not just skeletons, but also fragments of skin, soft tissue and hair.

‘Literally thousands of people have met their end in bogs, only to be found again ages later during peat cutting,’ explained Dr Roy van Beek, from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

‘The well-preserved examples only tell a small part of this far larger story.’

During their research, the team found there were bog body ‘hotspots’ where lots of remains have been found. These hotspots could reflect mass burials – such as those that took place after a battle.

But they also found some pretty sickening other ways that people met their end.

Where a cause of death could be determined, the study claims people were killed through ritualistic sacrifices, executions and general violence that included cutting, stabbing, shooting or strangulation.

Writing in the journal Antiquity, the team said: ‘Setting aside accidental deaths, the significant evidence for violent deaths and the large number of repeatedly used sites make it safe to assume that most finds of human remains…reflect intentional depositions.’

Those who had been killed were unceremoniously dumped in the wetlands where their bodies were preserved by the peat.

‘All in all, the fascinating new picture that emerges is one of an age-old, diverse and complex phenomenon, that tells multiple stories about major human themes like violence, religion and tragic losses,’ Dr van Beek added.

The best preserved bog body to be found in Britain is known as Lindow Man, who was found back in 1984.

After examining his remains, experts determined he was in his 20s and lived around 2,000 year ago. A closer inspection revealed his last meal was unleavened bread and there were even parasites in his intestine at the time he died.

‘In our case, this scope of research, combined with the sharp increase in available dating information over the last two decades and new computing techniques for summarising large sets of radiocarbon dates, has allowed us to identify hitherto unrecognised patterns,’ the scientists concluded in their report.

Theories as to how the Lindow Man was killed include blows to the head, garrotting, or a possible stab wound to the neck, before he was placed face-down in the waters of the peat bog.

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