Bog Bodies Mystery Of Human Corpse In Peatlands
The bog bodies are naturally preserved human corpses that found in Peatlands of Northern Europe. The Peatlands appear to have served as mass graveyards from BCE to medieval times. Many of the bodies reveal violent deaths. The scientists also have long studied the mystery of bog bodies, who were they and how they died. Unlike most ancient human remains, the bog bodies provided the perfect conditions, the skin and internal organs relatively intact.
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| The Bog Bodies |
Bog bodies have retained their skin and internal organs due to the unusual conditions of the surrounding area such as highly acidic water, low temperature, and lack of oxygen that combine to preserve. The thousands of bodies that found can be dated back to Iron Age Europeans which left no written records, so researchers just can speculate why the bodies were buried in the bogs instead of cremated. Many of the bog bodies have signs of gruesome violence such as slashed throats, criminal punishment, and human sacrifices.
The oldest known bog body is the skeleton of Koelbjerg from Denmark, who has been dated to 8000 BCE during Mesolithic period. Then the Huldremose Woman was found in Denmark in 1879. They discovered tiny plant fibers stuck in her skin. In 1938, the Elling Woman was found in Denmark, her body wrapped with sheepskin and a leather cloak and they believe she died of hanging in some type of ritual sacrifice. In 1950, Tollund Man was found with a peaceful face and researchers believe that he was also human sacrifice. Other gruesome death found in 2003 is by an Irish peatland uncovered the Old Croghan Man who has been subjected to torture. He was cut in half and beheaded. The man’s body contains several stabs and slice wounds.
These bodies have given quite a bit of insight into people of their various times, but they still hold many secrets. There is no conclusive evidence why thousands of bodies were dumped, especially since the bodies have been found sporadically throughout Germany, Ireland, Britain, Netherlands, and Denmark.