Period: Antiquity in general

Project title: The Taphonomic Bog Body

Researcher: Elizabeth Peacock, Norges Tekniske og Naturvidenskabelige Universitet, Norway

E-mail: elizabeth.peacock(at)vm.ntnu.no

Year: 1998-2006

Abstract:

The conditions for preservation in bogs are often very good due to, not least, the oxygen-poor environment. This is the reason behind many fantastic finds such as the bog body Grauballe man. Where he was found, the conditions for preservation had been so good that even his last meal was preserved in his stomach. However, we do not know if all materials are equally well preserved, which is why this experiment investigated the processes of preservation in bogs relative to various types of material.

In 1998, samples of skin, textiles (both wool and flax) and bone were buried in the bog by the Country Cottages at Lejre Experimental Centre. In order to compare the conditions for preservation in different environments, the same types of samples were buried in a bog in Rørmyra Nature Reserve outside Trondheim in Norway. The samples were buried to a depth of one meter, and temperature dataloggers were installed for the continuous measurement of the air and soil. Soil chemical analyses were undertaken for both sites as well.

The samples were excavated and analysed respectively one, two, four and eight years after the initial burial. Analysis of the wide range of sample materials is far from complete and will continue for several years. In general, results show that the burial environment at Lejre is less conducive to the preservation of these materials than the site in Rørmyra - with the exception of the animal bone.

Reference number: HAF 07/02 & HAF 10/06