The Bog Bodies
Elling woman's body was discovered in a Peat Bog in 1938 in Denmark, Bjældskovdal, 50m away from where the Tollund man would be discovered 12 years later, suggesting this area as a significant burial site. Peat is decomposed material (plant matter) that is highly acidic creating an anaerobic environment perfect for the preservation of bodies as they are not eaten by the bacteria etc. that decomposes them. This means it is able to preserve things for thousands of years in perfect condition, making it a prime source of archeological artifacts we are able to study. Recently the mummies been becoming more commonly found as the peat is mined, as it is great for things like fertilizer, and the bodies ave turned up in the machinery. In 1938 a local farmer was digging peat when he hit an object he thought to be a dead animal until he noticed it was wearing a belt of woven wool, he then realized what it was and its importance and called in a team of archeologists. The back of the body was in excellent condition while the front of the body was so badly preserved you could not tell it was even a woman, it was only through x-rays and a forensic dentist’s examination that it was confirmed Elling Woman was in fact a woman of roughly 25 years of age. Along with the body, her hair was in excellent condition and the pattern was able to be reconstructed and it was an intricate pattern of plaiting and tied in a knot. Along with the body was a skin rope that was sown together and it is thought that this rope was used to hang her, there was also a furrow that was able to be seen around the neck substantiating this theory. While it was damaged, it was still possible to determine she was also wearing a skin cloak, of a style which was the most common form of clothing at the time used by both men and women of the iron age. It is also thought to have been fastened with a clasp that was probably made out of a metal material (also able to be seen). Her legs had been wrapped in a blanket or cloak of cow hide. The approximate age of the body, determined by carbon dating, dates back to roughly 280/160 B.C. and 340 A.D.