Old Croghan Man
Encyclopedia
Old Croghan Man is the name given to a well-preserved Iron Age
bog body
found in an Irish
bog
in June 2003. The remains are named after Croghan Hill
, north of Daingean
, County Offaly
, near where the body was found. The find is on display in the National Museum of Ireland
in Dublin.
Old Croghan Man was found three months after a similar find in County Meath
. The County Meath find was named Clonycavan Man
, and noted for the "gel
" found in his hair.
The man is calculated (based on his arm span) to have stood 6 ft 6 in (1.98m) tall - tall for that time and the tallest bog body ever found. The man's apparently manicured nails led to speculation that he was not someone who engaged in manual labour, and possibly therefore of high status.
His last meal (analysed from the contents in his stomach) was believed to have been wheat
and buttermilk
. However, he was shown to have had a meat rich diet for at least the 4 months prior to this. Scars on his lungs suggest he may have suffered from pleurisy
.
At the time of his interment, he was naked except for a plaited leather
band around his left hand.
and had his body cut in half. This supposition is based on the lack of a head, and body below the hips. He also has a scar on his arm - possible evidence that he tried to defend himself.
The body was found to have deep cuts under each nipple. Several theories have been suggested to explain this, including that the damage was caused (after death) by conditions in the bog, that the cuts were indicative of torture while the man was alive, or that the nipples were deliberately mutilated (either before or after death) for symbolic purposes. The latter theory, put forward by Eamonn Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland, suggests that the mutilation was a symbolic gesture to mark the man as a rejected ruler. Other theories suggest that Old Croghan Man and other bog bodies were sacrifices to gods of fertility or harvest, and killed and buried to ensure good yields of corn
and milk
.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
bog body
Bog body
Bog bodies, which are also known as bog people, are the naturally preserved human corpses found in the sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe. Unlike most ancient human remains, bog bodies have retained their skin and internal organs due to the unusual conditions of the surrounding area...
found in an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
in June 2003. The remains are named after Croghan Hill
Croghan Hill
Croghan Hill is the remains of an extinct volcano and rises from the Bog of Allen in the midlands of Ireland in County Offaly. Though only 234 m high it commands extensive views of the surrounding midland counties, across the flat, low-lying expanse of the Bog of Allen...
, north of Daingean
Daingean
Daingean , formerly Philipstown, is a small town in east County Offaly, Ireland. It is situated midway between the towns of Tullamore and Edenderry on the R402 regional road. The town or townland of Daingean has a population of 777 while the District Electoral Division has a total population of...
, County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, near where the body was found. The find is on display in the National Museum of Ireland
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
in Dublin.
Old Croghan Man was found three months after a similar find in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The County Meath find was named Clonycavan Man
Clonycavan Man
Clonycavan Man is the name given to a well-preserved Iron Age bog body found in Clonycavan, County Meath, Ireland in March 2003. He has been calculated to have been approximately 1.57 metres in height, and is remarkable for the "gel" in his hair....
, and noted for the "gel
Gel
A gel is a solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state...
" found in his hair.
Life
Old Croghan man is believed to have died between 362 BC and 175 BC, making the body over 2,000 years old. Evidence indicates that the man was in his early twenties when he was killed.The man is calculated (based on his arm span) to have stood 6 ft 6 in (1.98m) tall - tall for that time and the tallest bog body ever found. The man's apparently manicured nails led to speculation that he was not someone who engaged in manual labour, and possibly therefore of high status.
His last meal (analysed from the contents in his stomach) was believed to have been wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and buttermilk
Buttermilk
Buttermilk refers to a number of dairy drinks. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream. It also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates where unrefrigerated fresh milk otherwise sours quickly...
. However, he was shown to have had a meat rich diet for at least the 4 months prior to this. Scars on his lungs suggest he may have suffered from pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
.
At the time of his interment, he was naked except for a plaited leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
band around his left hand.
Death
The man is believed to have died from a stab wound to the chest, been decapitatedDecapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
and had his body cut in half. This supposition is based on the lack of a head, and body below the hips. He also has a scar on his arm - possible evidence that he tried to defend himself.
The body was found to have deep cuts under each nipple. Several theories have been suggested to explain this, including that the damage was caused (after death) by conditions in the bog, that the cuts were indicative of torture while the man was alive, or that the nipples were deliberately mutilated (either before or after death) for symbolic purposes. The latter theory, put forward by Eamonn Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland, suggests that the mutilation was a symbolic gesture to mark the man as a rejected ruler. Other theories suggest that Old Croghan Man and other bog bodies were sacrifices to gods of fertility or harvest, and killed and buried to ensure good yields of corn
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
and milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
.