Peat Bog Discoveries!

April 26, 2012

Bodies weren’t the only things that peat bogs have preserved! Several trepanated skulls, which are skulls that have holes drilled in them have been found in bogs. Trepanning can be referred to as trephining or trephination is a surgical inventions in which a hole in scraped or drilled into the human skull which exposes the dura mater. This process is done to treat health problems that were related to intracranial diseases but it is believed in the medieval times that this “operation” was performed to remove a blood clot or a less-tangible thing, such as a spirit from a human being.

Picture from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

The image below shows a wheel that was discovered in the Netherland along with another one identical to it. It is roughly 2.5 feet in diameter and carved from a single piece of oak. This wheel has been dated back to 2700 B.C, making it one of the oldest wheels ever found in Europe.

Picture from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

In 2006, a man who was operating a backhoe in an Irish peat bog came across a Book of Psalms (a Psalter). The book had been buried for more than a thousand years, but the writing in it was still legible. Located nearby was a leather carrying pouch and it was assumed it contained the book at one time. Over the years, other satchels and wooden vessels have been found in bogs.

Picture from: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/22104

Other artifacts such as swords and weapons have been found, along with a 9 foot-long dugout canoe! You never know what you might find when exploring peat bogs!

Bibliography

Madrigal, A. (2009, August 21). Bogosphere: The Strangest Things Pulled Out of Peat Bogs. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Wired Science: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere/

Riggs, R. (2009, January 27). Weird Stuff Found in Bogs. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Mental Floss: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/22104



Bog Bodies in Ireland!

April 20, 2012



In January of 2006, after being discovered in central Ireland, two bog bodies were unveiled in Dublin. Researchers said these two bodies were over 2,000 years old and possibly used for ritual sacrifices because they were both in their early 20’s and were tortured and killed. These two bodies are not only unique for being well-preserved, but one appeared to have hair gel while the other wore manicured nails!

Picture from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_irish_bogmen.html

The bodies were originally discovered in 2003 accidently by commercial peat workers. These bodies were not found together but 25 miles apart! Researchers decided to name these two new Irish bog bodies after the places where they were found: Clonycavan and Croghan Hill. Once again, the police thought these were recent murder victims and conducted an investigation, but soon archaeologists concluded they were ancient bodies. A team of scientists said that Croghan’s fingerpring whorls were as clear as any living person’s.  "He (Croghan man) had very well manicured nails, and his fingertips and hands were indicative of somebody who didn't carry out any manual labor. So we presume he came from the upper echelons of society," said Isabella Mulhall, (the National Museum of Ireland’s Bog Bodies Project coordinator). Both bodies have been on display at the National Museum of Ireland since May of 2006!

Old Croghan Man - Picture from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_bog_photo.html

Bibliography: 

Owen, J. (2006, January 17). Murdered "Bog Men" Found With Hair Gel, Manicured Nails. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from National Geographic News: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_irish_bogmen.html

Bog Bodies!

April 12, 2012

Bog bodies can be defined as human burials, which some were likely sacrificed and placed in peat bogs and naturally mummified. Since peat is highly acidic, it acts as an extraordinary preservative which leaves the clothing and skin intact and creates an emotional and memorable image of people from the past. When a body is submerged into a bog, the cold water will insect activity and hinders putrefaction. Bog bodies have been discovered in not only Ireland, but also in Britain, Germany, Holland and Denmark.  The total number of bodies discovered in European bogs is unknown because it is estimated between 200 to 700 bodies have been pulled from bogs. 

 

Picture from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/tolland-man.html

Bod Body Story: The Tollund Man

            On May 8^th, 1950 near the village of Tollund in Denmark, two brothers and their families were cutting peat when they discovered a man in the bog and thought it was a modern murder victim because the body was so well preserved. These brothers quickly notified the Silkeborg police which were aware of an ancient body that was discovered 2 days earlier in a bog close to Bjaeldskovdal, which is only 10 kilometres west of Silkeborg. The police took the body to the Silkeborg Museum  for a very detailed examination. A number of radiologistics, paleobotanists, forensic scientists, archeologists and dentists studied the body and later learned that the man people thought was a recent murder victim was actually 2,400 years old! The Tollund Man is on display at the National Museum of Denmark.

 Picture from: http://www.tollundman.dk/udseende.asp

Work Cited:  

Lewis, S. K. (2006, February 7). The Tollund Man. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from Nova: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/tolland-man.html

Silkeborg Museum. (2004). A Face of Prehistoric Denmark. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from The Tollund Man: http://www.tollundman.dk/liget.asp

"Bog Butter"

April 5th, 2012 

 “Bog Butter” is a term that is used when referring to an ancient waxy substance that was discovered buried in peat bogs, mostly in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Some of the butter was found in oak barrels while others were preserved in wooden containers such as kegs, buckets, butter churns and dishes. Samples of the butter that was discovered were tested and this bog butter was made from dairy products while other sample results showed that it was meat-based.

Picture: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32630695/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/-year-old-butter-discovered-ireland/

Stories about Bog Butter Discoveries:

A few thousand years ago, someone living in Ireland made butter and placed it in an oak barrel. It is believed that they were roughly 25 miles west of Dublin when they buried it, but over the course of time they lost track of their butter. While exploring in the Gilltown bog, two archaeologists discovered the missing butter between the Irish towns of Staplestown and Timahoe. Then another discovery happened in 2009, when two Irish workers, John Fitzharris and Martin Lane, discovered an oak barrel dating back roughly 3,000 years was found and the butter inside was exceptionally well-preserved. This oak barrel was three-foot-long and weighed 77 pounds and was also found in the Gilltown bog. Even though this was a very exciting discovery for these archaeologists/workers, these weren’t the first barrels of butter that has been preserved by the bog. Over 270 kegs of bog butter have been reclaimed from the wetlands.

Picture: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Bog-butter-from-3000-BC--found-in-ancient-underground-store-120950094.html

*Next week we are going to continue on looking at exciting discoveries found in peat-lands….what will be next?!

Work Cited:

Hayes, C. (2011, April 29). ‘Bog butter’ from 3,000 BC found in ancient underground store. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from Irish Central: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Bog-butter-from-3000-BC--found-in-ancient-underground-store-120950094.html

Lorenzi, R. (2009, August 31). 3,000-year-old butter discovered in Ireland. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from Science on MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32630695/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/-year-old-butter-discovered-ireland/

Madrigal, A. (2009, August 21). Bogosphere: The Strangest Things Pulled Out of Peat Bogs. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from Wired Science: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/bogosphere