Buzz
Bog bodies are the preserved remains of humans that have been naturally mummified by the unique chemical composition and nutrient-rich environment of peat bogs, often intertwined with a hint of folklore. While many of these individuals died of natural causes and were buried in bogs for practical reasons, others met gruesome and tragic ends.
10. The Cashel Man
We begin with what is possibly the oldest bog body ever discovered. Found in the Cúl na Móna bog near Cashel in early 2011, this young male’s remains surfaced after thousands of years, revealing his presence to the modern world. Experts were astonished to find that, despite being incredibly well-preserved, the body was over 4,000 years old. The exceptional condition of the remains made it straightforward to identify the cause of death.
Researchers examining the body concluded that the man endured severe lacerations to his back, which inflicted critical damage to his spine, along with multiple fractures in his arm. Experts theorized that his death was part of a ritualistic sacrifice. However, the desecration didn’t stop there—4,000 years later, a milling machine further damaged his remains.
9. The Kayhausen Boy
The Kayhausen Boy, a bog body unearthed from the Kayhausen bog in Germany, was discovered in 1922. However, it took three decades before a detailed autopsy was conducted to uncover the true circumstances of his death.
The autopsy revealed that the boy, believed to be around seven or eight years old, was viciously stabbed to death. Using X-ray fluorescent spectroscopy, experts identified stab wounds concentrated in the neck area and evidence that his arms and legs had been tied. It remains unclear whether this binding occurred before or after his death.
8. Red Franz
Red Franz, named for his striking red hair, is the moniker given to the Neu Versen man. Discovered in Neu Versen, this individual was approximately 35 years old at the time of his death.
Experts suggest that his hair was originally blonde but was transformed into its vivid, fiery red hue by the peat bogs. Franz is believed to have died from a slit throat, though evidence shows he survived an arrow wound to the shoulder before meeting his end.
7. The Osterby Man
We won’t patronize you by stating where the Osterby Man was found, but we will mention that only his head was recovered. The mineral-rich peat bog had dyed his hair a striking red over centuries.
The Osterby Man’s head was likely severed from his body, as no other remains were found. Evidence suggests he died from a violent blow to his left temple before being decapitated. His body remains missing to this day.
6. Rendswühren Man
Unfortunately, Rendswühren Man doesn’t belong to the exclusive club of 'dead individuals with remarkable hair.' He was discovered in a bog near Kiel, Germany. (Not all bog bodies are named after their discovery sites, after all.) Estimated to be between 40 and 50 years old at the time of his death, forensic evidence suggests he was murdered, likely from a fatal blow to the head.
5. The Porsmose Man
The Porsmose Man is little more than a skeletal remains. As the iconic line from Robocop 2 goes, he’s barely recognizable as a corpse. However, his skull stands out among other bog bodies—most notably, it still contains an arrow lodged in it.
Experts agree that the arrows were fired from above at extremely close range, likely as part of an execution or ambush. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the point-blank shot to the head that killed him. Instead, it was a second arrow, fired directly into his heart, that ended his life.
4. The Dätgen Man
What makes the Dätgen Man remarkable is that his head was discovered far from his body, which had been impaled into the ground. This practice stemmed from the belief that the deceased could rise again and roam the Earth, and it’s believed to have been done after his death.
Before being decapitated and staked, the Dätgen Man suffered a brutal beating and stabbing. To make matters worse, after his discovery, his remains were nicknamed 'the tube' because the bog’s pressure had reduced his body to a decomposing, fleshy cylinder.
3. The Borremose Bodies
The Borremose bodies consist of three individuals discovered between 1946 and 1948. The first, known as the Borremose man, was so remarkably preserved that he was initially mistaken for a recent murder victim. While this assumption was partially correct, the truth was far more complex.
The Borremose man had been hanged, but his femur and skull were also brutally shattered. In contrast, the second man met a much less violent end and was discovered alongside the remains of an infant.
The third body, referred to as the Borremose Woman, endured severe mistreatment before being discarded in the bog. Her scalp was completely removed, and her face was crushed. Unfortunately, the true circumstances surrounding their deaths may remain a mystery forever.
2. Bockston Man
Bockston Man, another bog body with remarkably preserved hair, was discovered in 1936 and is believed to date back to the 1300s. Initially, the cause of his death was a mystery, but Professor Claes Lauritzen, a cranial specialist, examined the remains and reached a startling conclusion. While it was once thought that his severe skull injuries resulted from the bog’s pressure, Lauritzen determined otherwise.
Lauritzen deduced that Bockston Man was brutally beaten to death with a blunt object. His death was far from swift—he suffered two powerful blows that fractured his skull, followed by a final, fatal strike to the back of his head while he lay face-down. We can only hope his end was instantaneous.
1. Lindow Man
Lindow Man’s fate has been pieced together through extensive research: he was struck twice on the head, rendering him unconscious, before being strangled and having his throat cut. His body was then callously dumped into the bog. Discovered in 1980, Lindow Man has been thoroughly examined and moved between museums like a common artifact. He is now identified as a 25-year-old man living in first-century A.D. Rome.
