Tollund Man

Tollund Man, notable bog body—that is, a mummified human corpse preserved by the unique natural chemistry of peat bogs—discovered in the Bjældskovdal Mose, a peat bog in north-central Denmark, in 1950. The Tollund Man lived between 405 and 380 bce, amid Europe’s Iron Age (500 bce to 400 ce), and he was likely hanged, noted by the presence of a leather rope around his neck. Though several hundred Iron Age bog bodies and skeletons have been discovered in Denmark, the Tollund Man is among the best preserved, and the remains offer researchers a strikingly clear picture of human life during the period. The Tollund Man is on display at the Museum Silkeborg in Silkeborg, Denmark.

Discovery, excavation, and autopsy

The corpse were discovered on May 6, 1950, by two brothers, Viggo and Emil Højgaard, from the village of Tollund. The two men had been cutting peat for fuel in a bog near Bjældskovdal, an area roughly 10 km (6.2 miles) west of the town of Silkeborg, when they encountered the mummified body in the peat bed (see also mummy). The skin was leathery brown, an effect caused by a chemical reaction that produces thick layers of acidic sphagnum moss and covers the corpse (the moss releases a carbohydrate called sphagnan when it dies, which halts the growth of bacteria). The corpse was curled up in the fetal position with a rope wound tightly around the neck, suggesting that the Tollund Man had been hanged. The corpse was unclothed except for a skin cap secured around the chin by two thin leather straps and a leather belt around the hips. His head and face were incredibly well-preserved, and even short-cropped facial hair could be observed. Because of the body’s relatively fresh appearance, the Højgaards believed that they had discovered a recent victim of homicide, and they alerted the local police. The Tollund Man had been buried roughly 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) into the peat, and, since the site showed no signs of recent disturbance, police and representatives from the Museum Silkeborg determined that the brothers had made an accidental archaeological discovery.

A group made up of police, museum employees, and the two discoverers initially excavated the body so that it could be transported. They constructed a wooden box around the remains and the surrounding peat substrate and transported the whole construction by horse-drawn carriage to Moselund and then by train to Copenhagen’s National Museum, where further excavation and an autopsy were performed. The remains were separated from the peat and photographed extensively before being sent to Bispebjerg Hospital to be autopsied. Despite being hanged, the corpse’s vertebrae were still intact, though damaged. Examiners also extracted the contents of the Tollund Man’s stomach and intestines, discovering that he had eaten fish and porridge for his last meal. Though he had shrunk somewhat during 2,300 years of burial, they concluded that he had likely been about 1.6 meters (5.3 feet) tall during his life. He was between 30 and 40 years old at the time of his death.

Analysis

Most bodies during the period were cremated in large funeral pyres. The fact that the body of the Tollund Man had not been has prompted speculation about the circumstances surrounding his death. Early conjecture proposed that he could have been a criminal, and his being buried and not cremated indicates some distinction. Some researchers suggest that he may have been a human sacrifice, pointing to the possible ritual significance of peat bogs (a number of “gifts”—sacrificed animals, clothing, and weapons—have been found in the same bogs).