The Bog People: Iron Age Man Preserved

On a spring morning, two men cutting peat in a Danish bog uncovered a well-preserved body of a man with a noose around his neck. Thinking they had stumbled upon a murder victim, they reported their discovery to the police, who were baffled until they consulted the famous archaeologist P.V. Glob. Glob identified the body as that of a two-thousand-year-old man, ritually murdered and thrown in the bog as a sacrifice to the goddess of fertility.

This classic of archaeological history, written in the guise of a scientific detective story, was a best-seller when it was published in England but had been out of print for many years. It is a thoroughly engrossing and still reliable account of the religion, culture, and daily life of the European Iron Age, complete with 76 black-and-white photographs.

The discovery of the well-preserved body in the Danish bog immediately raised questions about the nature of the individual's death and the circumstances surrounding it. The two men who made the discovery were understandably unsure of what they had found, and their report to the police only added to the mystery. It was not until the renowned archaeologist P.V. Glob was consulted that the true nature of the discovery was revealed.

Glob's expertise and analysis were crucial in identifying the body as that of a man who had lived over two thousand years ago. Through his work, it became clear that this individual had been ritually murdered and then thrown into the bog as an offering to the goddess of fertility. This practice, known as a "bog body," was a common occurrence during the European Iron Age and provides invaluable insights into the religious beliefs and cultural practices of that time period.

The book's presentation as a scientific detective story adds an engaging and captivating element to the narrative, drawing the reader into the process of uncovering the mystery surrounding the body's discovery and the insights it provides into the past. The inclusion of 76 black-and-white photographs further enhances the reader's understanding of the subject matter and helps to bring the ancient world to life.

Despite the book's age, it remains a reliable and authoritative source of information on the European Iron Age, a time period that continues to fascinate scholars and the general public alike. The detailed accounts of the religion, culture, and daily life of the people who lived during this era offer a window into a world that is both foreign and familiar, and the book's enduring popularity is a testament to its continued relevance and importance in the field of archaeological study.

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