Episode 623: Fan Favorite: The Violent Deaths of Bog Bodies

Bogs serve as natural preservatives for ancient human remains due to their specialized environments. Hosts reveal that the anaerobic, acidic, and low-oxygen conditions of bogs significantly slow decomposition, allowing bodies to remain intact for millennia.

Bogs as specialized environments

Bogs are formed when plants and other organic debris accumulate in shallow water bodies and decompose very slowly due to oxygen deprivation, creating peat over time. This lack of oxygen in the bogs is crucial for the preservation of organic materials like human remains because it prevents the usual rapid decomposition.

The anaerobic, acidic, and low-oxygen conditions of bogs slow decomposition

The transcript discusses how the hair on bog bodies can be so well-preserved that it sometimes appears to be a wig. The low-oxygen environment of the bogs preserves these organic materials in a suspended state for extensive periods. These conditions are so effective that a human skull found in a bog was once mistaken for a recent murder victim, highlighting the high level of preservation.

Sphagnum moss in bogs releases compounds that tan and preserve skin, hair, and other soft tissues

Sphagnum moss, prevalent in bogs, dies and releases sphagnan, which tans and preserves the skin, hair, and soft tissues of bodies within the bog. This tanning process gives the skin a leathery texture and turns hair a distinctive copper ...

Researchers use remarkably preserved bog bodies to study ancient people, their belongings, and their social statuses. The intimate details of physical appearances and the brutal circumstances of their deaths provide insights into the rituals and cultural practices of their times.

The Elling Woman, a 2,000-year-old bog body found in Denmark, was meticulously preserved with intricate braids in her hair and evidence of violent strangulation.

The Elling Woman was found in Denmark in 1938 by Jens Zacharisen, believed to be from 280 BCE, during the Iron Age. At the time of her death, she was approximately 25 years old and adorned with a sheepskin cloak and a cowhide blanket. She also had a woolen belt and fabric made from cowhide wrapped around her lower body. Her back was nearly perfectly preserved, and she had long hair styled in intricate braids. A leather rope with a slipknot was found tied around her neck, and further testing indicated she had been hanged. Her well-nourished state and careful grooming suggested she was of high social standing and possibly used as a ritualistic fertility sacrifice by her village.

The Elling Woman's body showed signs of having been hanged, with a deep laceration around her neck, suggesting a ritualistic sacrifice.

The deep laceration around her neck where the rope was tied provides evidence that she was hanged, consistent with the theory that her death was a sacrificial act.

Analyses of her well-nourished state and carefully styled hair indicated she was likely of high social standing in her community.

Her overall well-preserved condition, nourishment status, and the care taken in styling her hair suggest that she was likely a prominent member of her community.

The Tollund Man, another exceptionally well-preserved bog body from Denmark, was found naked but with a peaceful facial expression, despite having been violently killed.

The Tollund Man was discovered by peat cutting farmers in Denmark, in the same bog as the Elling Woman, but 12 years later. He was estimated to be 30 to 40 years old at his time of death and was found naked save for a pointed cap, with a serene facial expression, suggesting a peaceful slumber. A braided leather noose around his neck pointed to a ritual sacrifice. He had recently consumed porridge made of grains and fish—a high-quality meal that indicated his high status.

The Tollund Man's body showed evidence of strangulation, with a braided leather noose around his neck, and he had recently consumed a meal of porridge and fish.

His cause of death was evidenced by the noose still present around his neck when found, and his stomach contents revealed his last meal.

The Tollund Man's pristine appearance and high-quality diet suggested he was likely a member of the elite class in his society.

The quality of his final meal, along with his preserved appearance, suggests he enjoyed a high social status.

The Cloney Cave-in Man and the Old Crogan Man, two bog bodies found in Ireland, were brutally murdered and mutilated, with their nipples cut off and their bodies staked down in the bogs.

Both the Old Crogan Man and the Cloney ...

The preserved remains of individuals from ancient times, known as bog bodies, reveal signs of ritualistic and sacrificial killings, offering a window into the belief systems of Iron Age and pre-Christian European societies.

Many bog bodies show signs of ritualistic, sacrificial killings, suggesting they were viewed as offerings or punishments within the belief systems of their societies.

The act of dismembering or staking down bodies in the bogs, often observed in the remains, indicates an intent to trap the souls of the deceased in the liminal space of the bog, perhaps to prevent them from moving on to the afterlife. This could signify punishment or a symbolic anchoring to the world of the living. The appearance of anguish on many bog bodies' faces supports the notion that they were ritually killed. However, the peaceful expression of the Tollund Man, who was carefully placed in the bog after death by hanging, implies a ritualistic aspect differing from those of violent end.

The practice of staking down or dismembering the bodies and leaving them in the bogs was likely intended to prevent the souls of the victims from leaving the in-between space of the bog and moving on to the afterlife.

Some bodies in the bogs were staked down, sometimes through their limbs while they were alive. This may have served as a punishment by preventing the decomposition of the body and the soul's departure, leaving them in a state of suspension between life and death.

The careful preservation of the bodies, often with personal adornments like jewelry or styled hair, indicates the victims were likely of high social status and importance within their communities.

Personal adornments and the careful placement of the bodies suggest that the victims were of high social status, potentially nobles or kings or those in line of succession. The Elling Woman, for instance, is believed to have possibly been offered as a ritualistic sacrifice to the gods by her village.

The practice of mutilating the body in specific ways further underscores their cultural significance. For example, cutting off a king's nipples would have rendered him ineligible for kingship both in this world and the next. This mutilation could signify a failed kingship or ritual sacrifice due to eve ...