Bog body

A bog body is a preserved human body found in a Sphagnum bog. Under certain conditions, the acidity of the water, the cold temperature and the lack of oxygen combine to tan the body's skin and preserve the skeleton. Bog bodies have been dated at more than 1000 years old.

Preserved bodies of humans and animals have been discovered in bogs in England, northern Germany and Denmark. Records of such finds go back as far as the 18th century. However, it is only in the 20th century that the technology exists to determine their age. It isn't readily apparent if a body has been buried in a bog for years, decades or centuries.

Unlike most ancient human remains, bog bodies have skin and internal organs as well as skeletons. Scientists have been able to study their skin, reconstruct their appearance and even determine what their last meal was by their stomach contents.

Many bog bodies show signs of being deliberately buried in the bog. Forensic examinations of some bog bodies suggest they were ritually slain and placed in the bog as part of the ritual, possibly as an execution, possibly as a human sacrifice.

Some of the best known bog bodies are Lindow man and Tollund man.