Summary of Evidence - Culture and Religion
By looking at the body of Elling woman we can come to some conclusions:
There is substantial evidence that the Elling woman was a sacrifice. Besides finding the rope it is thought she was hung with, it is also highly likely she was a sacrifice because sacrifices are usually something of value. Elling woman was obviously someone of high status as she had people to do her hair and she was wearing well made clothing, thus she was something valuable that was sacrificed. We also know that most people of a natural death were cremated during this time period, and those that were criminals were hanged. The reason she is not thought to be a criminal is because she was not subjected to further punishment i.e. torture like many other bog bodies.
This can then tell us about the religion and thus of the culture of the time. The people of this time in the Iron Age were highly likely of a pagan background, and we sacrificing her to the gods e.g. gods of the new harvest for example. By sacrificing this they may have been hoping to please the gods for their personal returns and security in the next harvest etc. This is also consistent with the many other bodies that have been found in the bog, as they all generally ate the same meal before death. A simple meal that signifies ritual – something generally linked to sacrifice.
These gods and rituals can tell us more about their culture. By having these sacrifices it establishes a superstitious demeanor of the people of the time. This usually arises over things not going well due to external factors e.g. an unsuccessful harvest due to bad rainfall. This idea is further backed up by grains found in related bog bodies that could only have been achieved through agriculture. These two connect very well and we can see that agriculture was a very big part of the Iron age and may have been a major part in the reason for religious sacrifice. This also tells us that at this time they were an agricultural society.
The metal in her cloak also establishes how integral metal was in the society at the time. This combined with agriculture would lead to large trade relationships being established at the time of the Iron Age. This is substantiated by products being made of such a quality only profession could achieve, hence evidence of trades and therefore trading. This however would have still existed under a barter system (trading goods for goods as apposed to money) however money did come into the Iron Age at a very late stage.
There is substantial evidence that the Elling woman was a sacrifice. Besides finding the rope it is thought she was hung with, it is also highly likely she was a sacrifice because sacrifices are usually something of value. Elling woman was obviously someone of high status as she had people to do her hair and she was wearing well made clothing, thus she was something valuable that was sacrificed. We also know that most people of a natural death were cremated during this time period, and those that were criminals were hanged. The reason she is not thought to be a criminal is because she was not subjected to further punishment i.e. torture like many other bog bodies.
This can then tell us about the religion and thus of the culture of the time. The people of this time in the Iron Age were highly likely of a pagan background, and we sacrificing her to the gods e.g. gods of the new harvest for example. By sacrificing this they may have been hoping to please the gods for their personal returns and security in the next harvest etc. This is also consistent with the many other bodies that have been found in the bog, as they all generally ate the same meal before death. A simple meal that signifies ritual – something generally linked to sacrifice.
These gods and rituals can tell us more about their culture. By having these sacrifices it establishes a superstitious demeanor of the people of the time. This usually arises over things not going well due to external factors e.g. an unsuccessful harvest due to bad rainfall. This idea is further backed up by grains found in related bog bodies that could only have been achieved through agriculture. These two connect very well and we can see that agriculture was a very big part of the Iron age and may have been a major part in the reason for religious sacrifice. This also tells us that at this time they were an agricultural society.
The metal in her cloak also establishes how integral metal was in the society at the time. This combined with agriculture would lead to large trade relationships being established at the time of the Iron Age. This is substantiated by products being made of such a quality only profession could achieve, hence evidence of trades and therefore trading. This however would have still existed under a barter system (trading goods for goods as apposed to money) however money did come into the Iron Age at a very late stage.