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Tollund Man
Iron Age bog body from Denmark / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tollund Man (died 405–384 BCE) is a naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 5th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age.[1] He was found in 1950, preserved as a bog body, near Silkeborg on the Jutland peninsula in Denmark.[2] The man's physical features were so well preserved that he was mistaken for a recent murder victim.[3] Twelve years before his discovery, another bog body, Elling Woman, was found in the same bog.[4]
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Tollund Man | |
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![]() The Tollund Man's preserved head | |
Born | c. 445–420 BCE |
Died | c. 405–384 BCE (aged ~40) present-day Tollund, Denmark |
Cause of death | Hanging (presumably ritual sacrifice) |
Body discovered | 8 May 1950 Silkeborg, Denmark 56°9′52″N 9°23′34″E |
Height | 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
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The cause of death has been determined to be by hanging. Scholars believe the man was a human sacrifice, rather than an executed criminal, because of the arranged position of his body, and his eyes and mouth being closed.[5]