The peat bogs of central Ireland yielded up one very stylish murdered man, who was found to have used imported hair gel to slick back his hair, and another bog man who was as tall as 6’ 6” (157 centimeters) and had perfectly manicured nails. The two bog men were discovered in 2003 merely 25 miles apart in such great condition that a police investigation was started for one of the victims, before bringing in the archaeologists.
Bodies of the Two Bog Men
The two bog men, both in their early 20's at the time of their deaths are now dated to well over 2000 years ago. Both men were savagely beaten and tortured before being murdered and left in the bogs. They were named after the locations of their discoveries: Croghan Hill and Clonycavan.
Radiocarbon dating has shown that OldCroghan man lived between 362 B.C and 175 B.C.E., while Clonycavan man dated from 392 to 201 B.C.E. The corpses were perfectly mummified by the cold, acidic, oxygen-free environment of the peat of the Irish bogs.
The fingerprints of Oldcroghan man are as clear as a person living today. His well-manicured hands held no appearance of heavy labor, and his body held no scars, indicating that he was probably a member of an upper class. One small problem with this neatly manicured corpse is that he is missing his head and lower limbs.
Still Oldcroghan man was estimated to have been six feet six inches tall (198 centimeters) based on his wide armspan, and probably the tallest bog man ever to have been discovered. His last meal was found to have been buttermilk and cereals.
Clonycavan man measured just 5 feet 2 inches (157 centimeters) tall. Perhaps his bouffant-like hairstyle was formed with the imported hair gel to make him appear taller than he really was. He was also from the upper class.
Brutal Torture and Slaying of Bog Men
Not unlike murdered and tortured men found in bogs in Britain, Germany the Netherlands and Denmark, these men also suffered very grisly deaths.
The two Irish bog men were severely tortured and brutalized in several different fashions. Oldcroghan man was stabbed, his nipples were sliced, and he had holes cut in his upper arms through which a rope was threaded in order to restrain him. Then he was also cut in half across the torso.
Clonycavan man, the shorter of the two, suffered three axe blows to the head, plus one to his chest and he was also disemboweled.
Several ideas have been postulated about the reasons for the torture and executions of bog men found throughout Europe, such as severe punishment for breaking certain ancient codes or ritual laws, or the victims may have been used as sacrifices to ancient pagan gods.
Ned Kelly, of the National Museum of Ireland, believes that the aristocratic men in Ireland were offered to fertility gods by kings at locations near their borders to bless the land, and may have been held as political prisoners prior to their sacrifices.
Resources:
Owen, James. “ Murdered Bog Men Found with Hair Gel, Manicured Nails,” National Geographic News (January 17, 2006)
NOVA. “The Perfect Corpse.”
Paula I. Nielson - Paula I. Nielson, Ph.D., holds credentials and interests in anthropology, archaeology, religion, the Middle East and Asia.
