Making A MUMMY

Though the bog bodies varied by country, culture and era, they were often buried in the same way

Raised bog

The best-preserved bodies were all found in raised bogs, which form in basins where poor drainage leaves the ground waterlogged and slows plant decay. A raised bog contains few minerals and very little oxygen.

Natural preservatives

Peat comprises decaying pollen and vegetation — mainly sphagnum moss — where bog bodies are found. The peat releases an acid similar to vinegar that pickles the skin like leather and dyes the hair ginger.

Cold conditions

The mummies would have had to have been placed in the water during winter or early spring when the bog was coldest to refrigerate the body and prevent it from decaying.

Handled with care

Despite having been brutally murdered, bog bodies often show signs of being delicately placed. Tollund Man was found in a fetal position with his eyes and mouth deliberately closed after his death.

Secured in place

Bodies were often held down by rocks or with sharpened branches driven into the peat, likely to prevent the corpses from floating back to the surface.

Wearing a noose

Elling Woman and Tollund Man were hanged, the ropes still around their necks in death. The Borremose Man was hanged or strangled with a rope noose. Yde Girl was strangled with a woollen belt.