The Bog Man and the Archaeology of People

Description

On August 1, 1984, Andy Mould picked up what looked like a piece of wood at a peat-shredding mill in Cheshire, England. He tossed it toward his workmate and it fell to the ground, revealing an ancient human foot. Archaeologists using radiocarbon dating methods found that the Lindow man — named after the Lindow moss that enveloped him — was over two thousand years old. Don Brothwell tells the exciting story of the discovery of the body and its investigation by a multidisciplinary team of scientists intent on answering a variety of questions. How and when did this bog man die? What was his social status? How healthy was he? Those watching in the laboratory as the peat was cleaned away were surprised by the number of external features that suggested he had met a violent death. The Lindow Man appeared to have been left naked except for a fox fur armband and a thong twisted tightly around his neck. The author also looks at Lindow Man in the light of worldwide research on preserved people. By analyzing well-preserved ancient human remains, researchers can piece together much information about the lives of these ancients and the world in which they lived. Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 9 A Body is Discovered 10 Clues to a Murder 24 Reconstructing a Physique 45 Looking for Disease 56 Recreating an Environment 77 The Last Meal 89 Beyond the Bog Body 97 Conclusion 121 Bibliography 124 Index 127