What Was Tollund Man Wearing When He Died?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

A wooden post was planted to mark the spot where two brothers, Viggo and Emil Hojgaard, along with Viggo’s wife, Grethe, all from the nearby village of Tollund, struck the body of an adult man while they cut peat with their spades on May 6, 1950. The dead man wore a belt and an odd cap made of skin, but nothing else .

What was the Tollund Man wearing?

He wore a pointed skin cap of sheepskin and wool , fastened under his chin by a hide thong, and a smooth hide belt around his waist. Additionally, a noose made of plaited animal hide was drawn tight around his neck and trailed down his back. Other than these, the body was naked.

What was Lindow Man wearing when he died?

What do we know about Lindow Man? Lindow Man’s discovery led unprecedented scientific research. Naked except for a fox-fur armband , he was 1.73m tall and weighed 64kg. He was around 25 years old when he died.

What was the Tollund Man last meal?

In the 1950s, analysis concluded that the man, before his death, had eaten a meal of barley porridge . ... The authors found Tollund Man also consumed a fatty fish, such as an eel, at the same point before his death – not believed to be a regular dietary element at that time and place.

How did the Tollund Man died?

He is one of scores of bog bodies that have been unearthed in wetlands across Britain and northern Europe. A 30- to 40-year-old man at the time of his death, Tollund Man was hanged between 405 and 380 B.C.E., per Laura Geggel of Live Science. (The leather noose is still wrapped around his neck.)

How old is the Tollund Man’s body?

Over the past few centuries, men harvesting peat in European bogs have discovered the preserved remains of hundreds of human corpses called “bog bodies”. Some of them are as old as 10,000 years.

What does tollund man look like?

The head was almost shockingly well-preserved. The eyes were closed and so was the mouth – the look on his face was peaceful and solemn as if he was just sleeping. The hair was cut short, 1-3 cm long – the red colour of his hair is due to the influence of the bog water. We don’t know his original hair colour.

Who found Lindow Man?

Lindow Man, also known as Lindow II and (in jest) as Pete Marsh, is the preserved bog body of a man discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss near Wilmslow in Cheshire, North West England. The remains were found on 1 August 1984 by commercial peat cutters .

Who found Grauballe man?

This is how Tage Busk Sørensen , a peat-cutter who was working in the Nebelgaard Bog in Central Jutland in Denmark, describes his discovery of ‘Grauballe Man’, one of the most spectacular discoveries from Denmark’s prehistory.

What is the oldest bog body?

The oldest known bog body is the skeleton of Koelbjerg Man from Denmark , who has been dated to 8000 BCE, during the Mesolithic period. The oldest fleshed bog body is that of Cashel Man, who dates to 2000 BCE during the Bronze Age.

How did the Tollund Man get found?

His remains were uncovered in 1950 by villagers in the town of Tollund, Denmark, who were gathering peat for fuel. ... Like all the “bog people,” Tollund Man showed signs of a violent death. Nude but for a leather cap and wide belt around his waist, the body was discovered with a rope tightly wound around his neck .

Why did the Tollund Man get hung?

If he had been, he would have been cremated. Rather, he was probably ritually hanged as a spiritual sacrifice . Some parts of the man’s body did not fare as well as others. His arms and hands were reduced to little more than a thin layer of toughened tissue covering bones.

Why is Tollund Man so important?

The Tollund Man is probably the most well-preserved body from pre-historic times in the world . The head was almost shockingly well-preserved. His remains were uncovered in 1950 by villagers in the town of Tollund, Denmark, who were gathering peat for fuel. ...

Was the Tollund Man healthy?

A series of post-excavation examinations indicate that the Tollund Man was forty to fifty years old and in good health except for the occurrence of whipworms . He had eaten a purely vegetarian meal twelve to fourteen hours before his death.

Where was Tollund Man killed?

We know how Tollund Man died. He died by hanging one winter’s day or early spring . Shortly after the hanging he was cut down. Somebody closed his eyes and mouth and placed him in a sleeping position in an old bog.

How did the Tollund Man live?

Based on carbon testing, he lived during the Iron age and died around 3-400 BC aged 30-40 years. After being hanged he was laid in the peat bog in a sheepskin cap, a belt, and a noose tied around his neck. Instead of decomposing, the peat moss killed bacteria and prevented the decomposition of the body.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.