The Life and Death of a Druid Prince: The Story of Lindow Man, an Archaeological Sensation

Description

When a well-preserved human torso was discovered by a peat cutter in the Lindow Moss of the English Midlands on August 1, 1984, it set off an archaeological investigation as exciting as any detective story. Using state-of-the-art technology and possessing expert knowledge of ancient Celtic customs and beliefs, Dr. Anne Ross and Dr. Don Robins reconstruct the rich life and violent death of the 2,000-year-old who came to be known as Lindow Man and was hailed as the archaeological discovery of the decade. A fascinating series of investigations revealed that Lindow Man was a Druid nobleman and priest, ritually murdered in a spectacular Celtic May Day ceremony, sacrificing his young life to appease the gods following a brutal invasion by the Roman army in what has been called "the darkest hour in Britain’s blackest year." As the facts emerge, Celtic Britain under the Roman occupation comes sharply into focus — especially the grim determination of the Romans to destroy the powerful and mysterious Druid religion. Caught up in this human tragedy, one can truly come to know the heroic man who gave his life to save his people and his culture, and who now speaks from the watery grave where he lay mute for nearly twenty centuries. "The Life and Death of a Druid Prince: The Story of Lindow Man, an Archaeological Sensation", is both a thrilling human drama and a spellbinding scientific detection. Authors' note 7 PROLOGUE The Riddle of the Blackened Bread 9 One. The Silent Witness 15 Two. Face to Face with a Druid 34 Three. Lovernios Revealed 53 Four. The Fox's Earth 60 Five. The Black Year 79 Six. The Golden Twist 101 EPILOGUE The Triple Echo 128 APPENDIX ONE The Druids 130 APPENDIX TWO Celts and Germans 157 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 168 BIBLIOGRAPHY 170 INDEX 174