One of the best-preserved “bog bodies” in history, the Tollund Man was discovered with a noose around his neck, leading researchers to conclude that he was the victim of human sacrifice.
On May 6, 1950, brothers Viggo and Emil Hojgaard were harvesting peat on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark when they stumbled upon a corpse.
They immediately called the police, thinking they had found a recently murdered victim. Although the features of the body indicated that he had died recently, the clothing suggested otherwise. He wore a pointed cap made of sheep’s wool and leather, along with a noose made of braided animal hide around his neck. His skin, hair, and nails were brown, resembling leather.
It was quickly determined that this was not a recently murdered victim but rather a bog body – a naturally mummified corpse preserved in the peat bog for thousands of years.
This man is known as the Tollund Man, named after the nearby Danish village, and the shock of his body being so well-preserved after two millennia still resonates today.
The body of Tollund Man can be seen at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark. However, most of the body has shriveled due to poor preservation techniques at the time of discovery. Only the head, feet, and thumb were kept in their original state.
Carbon dating established that the remains of the Tollund Man are over 2,000 years old, dating from around 405 to 380 BC, during the pre-Roman Iron Age in Scandinavia. The man was estimated to be around 40 years old at the time of his death – hanged.
While some suggest that the Tollund Man may have been executed for being a criminal, most experts “tend to agree that his killing was a form of ritual sacrifice to the gods,” according to information from the Smithsonian.
The facial features and internal organs of the Tollund Man, including the heart, lungs, and liver, were astonishingly well-preserved, although the skin on his arms and hands had turned to tissue and hardened bone. The body was found in a fetal position, with its eyes closed and mouth relaxed into a faint smile.
The Tollund Man was in such good condition that upon discovery, scientists were able to take his fingerprints. Even the internal organs were found to be in good condition, and stomach analysis indicated that he had eaten his last meal approximately 12 to 24 hours before his death. Based on its composition, this meal was likely a type of porridge made primarily from flaxseed and barley.
Bog bodies such as Tollund Man have been found in peat bogs throughout Northern Europe.
Most bog bodies like the Tollund Man have been excavated in Northern Europe and date back to the Bronze and Iron Ages.
According to author Christian Fischer in the book “Mummies, Disease and Ancient Culture”, it is estimated that 122 complete bog bodies have been discovered and identified, although some estimates suggest the number could be as high as 1,400.
As per Smithsonian, almost all bog bodies found appear to have been killed in some form of sacrificial or punitive ritual. According to archaeology professor and author Peter Vilhelm Glob, the bodies may have been sacrificed to the pagan goddess Nerthus, also known as Mother Earth, who is associated with peace and prosperity.
The first recorded bog bodies were discovered in the 17th century. One was found in Germany in 1640, considered the first bog body discovered, and another was found by a peat cutter in Northern Ireland in 1780, leading to what is believed to be the earliest published account of bog bodies.
To date, the oldest bog body discovered is known as the Koelbjerg Man, with remains dating back approximately 8,000 years BC. His entire body was not found; only a skull and some bone fragments were recovered, but this is the oldest human skeleton ever found in Denmark.
Many historians believe that many of these bog bodies may be interconnected. This hypothesis is reinforced by the discovery of another bog body just 260 feet (about 80 meters) away from where the Tollund Man was found.
A peat bog on Hill of Snowy Slack, Scotland.
Bog bodies like the Tollund Man are often thought to be “naturally mummified” due to the remarkable preservation of the bodies by natural elements.
The water in peat bogs is highly acidic due to its proximity to cold saline waters, such as the North Sea of Scandinavia. The high salt content allows sphagnum moss to thrive in the bog, and as the moss decomposes, it releases a significant amount of acid into the bog.
According to the Silkeborg Museum, the water in these bogs has a pH almost balanced with vinegar, causing any remaining human remains in the bog to be preserved similarly to vegetables soaked in vinegar – Acid prevents bacteria from thriving, which could cause the body to decay and decompose.
Tollund Man is extremely well-preserved thanks to the environmental conditions of the bog.
All bog bodies are submerged in water during winter when the water temperature is below 4 degrees Celsius. These temperatures are similar to those of a refrigerator and prevent bacteria from growing.
