What did Elling Woman look like?
Later known as the Elling Woman, the body was discovered by a local farmer, Jens Zakariasson, who at first believed that the remains were of a drowned animal. The body was wrapped in a sheepskin cape with a leather cloak tied around her legs.
Why do all bog bodies have red hair?
All types of hair have been found preserved on bog bodies: head, facial, body and pubic. Surviving hair is often reddish as a result of changes within the bog, but analysis has revealed a range of hair colours and styles. Male hair was worn both long and short.
How was the Elling Woman preserved?
Mummification. After her hanging, the Elling Woman was placed into the peat bog as a means of burial. Elling Woman is believed to be naturally mummified in the Bjeldskovdal bog, West of Silkeborg in Denmark.
Are there bog bodies in Scotland?
The mummies were discovered more than a decade ago below the remnants of 11th-century houses at Cladh Hallan, a prehistoric village on the island of South Uist (map), off the coast of Scotland. The bodies had been buried in the fetal position 300 to 600 years after death. (See bog body pictures.)
How did the Huldremose woman died?
Medical analysis has shown that the woman from Huldremose received a violent cut to the right upper arm. It was previously believed that the cut to the arm was the cause of death and the woman died as a result of subsequent loss of blood.
How many bog bodies are there?
Over 500 Iron Age bog bodies and skeletons dating to between 800 B.C. and A.D. 200 have been discovered in Denmark alone, with more unearthed in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
What country has the most bog bodies?
Bog bodies, or bog people, are the naturally preserved corpses of humans and some animals recovered from peat bogs. The bodies have been most commonly found in the Northern European countries of Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Why do bogs preserve bodies?
As new peat replaces the old peat, the older material underneath rots and releases humic acid, also known as bog acid. The bog acids, with pH levels similar to vinegar, conserve the human bodies in the same way as fruit is preserved by pickling.