Tollund Man
Peat cutters in Denmark found a man in the bog so well preserved they thought he'd died recently. He was 2,400 years old.
What was reported
On 6 May 1950, two brothers cutting peat near Silkeborg, in Denmark, found a man lying curled as if asleep, wearing a pointed skin cap and a belt. His face was so lifelike that they called the police, thinking he had died recently.
Radiocarbon dating showed he lived around 400 BC, in the Iron Age.
Explanations offered
The acidic, oxygen-poor water of the bog preserved his skin and features. Archaeologists think he was probably a ritual offering, like other 'bog bodies' found across northern Europe. His face can be seen at the Silkeborg Museum, and even his last meal, a porridge of grains and seeds, has been studied.
- When
- Found 6 May 1950
- Where
- Bjældskovdal bog, near Silkeborg, Denmark
- Witnesses
- Peat cutters
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.