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Bog Bodies Uncovered: Solving Europe's Ancient Mystery
The grisly story of the bog bodies, updated via details of archaeological discovery and crime-scene techniques Some 2,000 years ago, certain unfortunate individuals were violently killed and buried not in graves but in bogs. What was a tragedy for the victims has proved an archaeologist’s dream, for the peculiar and acidic properties of the bog have preserved the bodies so that their skin, hair, soft tissue, and internal organs―even their brains―survive. Most of these ancient swamp victims have been discovered in regions with large areas of raised Ireland, northwest England, Denmark, the Netherlands, and northern Germany. They were almost certainly murder victims and, as such, their bodies and their burial places can be treated as crime scenes. The cases are cold, but this book explores the extraordinary information they reveal about our prehistoric past.
Bog Bodies Uncovered updates Professor P. V. Glob’s seminal publication The Bog People , published in 1969, in the light of vastly improved scientific techniques and newly found bodies. Approached in a radically different style akin to a criminal investigation, here the bog victims appear, uncannily well-preserved, in full-page images that let the reader get up close and personal with the ancient past. 78 illustrations, 15 in color
Bog Bodies Uncovered updates Professor P. V. Glob’s seminal publication The Bog People , published in 1969, in the light of vastly improved scientific techniques and newly found bodies. Approached in a radically different style akin to a criminal investigation, here the bog victims appear, uncannily well-preserved, in full-page images that let the reader get up close and personal with the ancient past. 78 illustrations, 15 in color
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2015
65 people are currently reading
1190 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Aldhouse-Green
37 books93 followersMiranda Green was born in London and educated at Greycoat Hospital, Westminster. She took an Honours degree at University College, Cardiff and an M. Litt. at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She gained a research scholarship at the Open University and was awarded a doctorate in 1981 for her thesis on Romano-Celtic sun-symbolism. She has received research awards from the Society of Antiquities of London and from the British Academy, and was awarded the Leverhulme Research Fellowship at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. After holding posts at Worthing and Peterborough Museums, she took up posts as Tutor in Roman Studies and full-time administrator at the Open University in Wales.
Until recently professor of archaeology at Newport University, Miranda's teaching experience ranges from leading undergraduate courses on Roman Britain and Iron Age Europe to managing and contributing to Newport's MA in Celto-Roman Studies. She has supervised more than twenty PhD and MPhil students to successful completion.
Miranda Aldhouse-Green is Tutor for the MA Archaeology programme, and is module leader for three of the MA skills modules (Research Methods, Writing Archaeology/Writing the Past and Speaking Archaeology). She lectures on Early Celtic Studies and contributes to the third-year undergraduate Theory course.
External responsibilities include membership of the Ancient Monuments Advisory Board for Wales, presidency of the Prehistoric Society (2004-6) and membership of the management board of the University of Wales Press.
Until recently professor of archaeology at Newport University, Miranda's teaching experience ranges from leading undergraduate courses on Roman Britain and Iron Age Europe to managing and contributing to Newport's MA in Celto-Roman Studies. She has supervised more than twenty PhD and MPhil students to successful completion.
Miranda Aldhouse-Green is Tutor for the MA Archaeology programme, and is module leader for three of the MA skills modules (Research Methods, Writing Archaeology/Writing the Past and Speaking Archaeology). She lectures on Early Celtic Studies and contributes to the third-year undergraduate Theory course.
External responsibilities include membership of the Ancient Monuments Advisory Board for Wales, presidency of the Prehistoric Society (2004-6) and membership of the management board of the University of Wales Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
December 29, 2017
I’m not sure about the subtitle of “solving Europe’s ancient mystery”. It is a mystery, of course, and it’s comparatively ancient, but I don’t think Aldhouse-Green manages to solve it. Examine it closely and lay out what evidence we have, yes, but that evidence doesn’t convince me that we have enough to make real judgements about what was going on. Especially not because Aldhouse-Green’s book takes in bog bodies all over Europe — places that in many other ways haven’t been demonstrated to have similar beliefs.
The book is strongest when she sticks to the facts. If you’re fascinated by bog bodies, there’s a whole range of them discussed at length, both the forensics of their deaths and the items that were found with them, and even what we know now with modern science about their lives. Even if you’re with me in thinking that some of the theories lean too hard on supposing there are commonalities across huge breadths of space and time, there’s a lot to learn here.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
The book is strongest when she sticks to the facts. If you’re fascinated by bog bodies, there’s a whole range of them discussed at length, both the forensics of their deaths and the items that were found with them, and even what we know now with modern science about their lives. Even if you’re with me in thinking that some of the theories lean too hard on supposing there are commonalities across huge breadths of space and time, there’s a lot to learn here.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
November 23, 2016
Fascinating recent study on Northern European bog bodies--bog ecology and the role of Sphagnum in preserving these bodies; types of people thrown into bogs; who killed them and how forensics has helped archaeologists. Interesting section on facial reconstruction and another on how a Suebian Knot is fashioned. The author speculated somewhat and there was repetition, but often coming at the same facts from different angles. The possibility of cannibalism was raised. Written for the educated layperson, with many illustrations and color plates. Recommended highly.
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January 19, 2016Author exceeded lifetime quota for use of the word "liminal". Also was far too prone to going off on imaginative flights of fancy for my taste (which, to be fair, were mostly called out as such in the text), especially as this is a work of non-fiction.
June 3, 2022
Miranda Althouse-Green's "Bog Bodies Uncovered" is not only the best nonfiction book I have read so far this year--or perhaps for many years--but it is downright mind-boggling (no pun intended). Many people are familiar with the best-known bog-preserved individuals, such as Lindow II (aka "Lindow Man") or Tollund Man, found in a Danish bog, and perhaps have even seen their remains in museums. The incredible thing is that approximately 100 bodies have been preserved by being deposited in peat bogs and that these human beings were virtually all murdered and deliberately installed in a medium that was known for its preservative qualities. The peat bogs have a tanning function that preserves human skin while, at the same time, causing bones to disintegrate. Plus, this murder-and-preservation technique was done in many places in northwestern Europe. Althouse-Green covers in rich detail 25 of the 100 so bodies, located in peat bogs in England, Ireland, Denmark, North Germany, and the Netherlands. The mind-boggling part of the book is that so many bodies in so many different locations had so much in common. Most were deposited during the Iron Age, which in northern Europe covered about 800 BCE to 100 CE. Most of the individuals bore signs of violence, in many cases "overkilling," i.e., more than one wound or mark of violence that could have killed the person. Lindow Man, for example, had his throat slit and was garroted simultaneously, plus suffered fatal blunt force trauma to the head. Some were decapitated or dismembered. Ages range from adolescents to young adults in the prime of life and many bore signs of a high-status existence, such as manicured nails and hair treated with imported pomade or elaborately braided. Several had half-shaved heads. A few were also special in other ways, such as having skeletal deformities that would have made them noticeable. The stomach contents of many indicated that they were fed a special diet before death, including psychotropic mistletoe berries or ergot-infected barley. In some cases, dozens of varieties seeds and grains were found in the gut. Others were pinioned in the bog to keep them under the water and in place.
As far as what these bodies tell us about life, ritual, and belief in the Iron Age, Althouse-Green presents many intriguing theories and possibilities. She draws from Greek and Roman writers Tacitus Strabo, Lucan, and others and their descriptions of the tribes of northwest Europe. She includes chapters on the characteristics of both victims and possible perpetrators, the magical and liminal nature of bogs, and religious specialists, such as Druids, who might have had a role in the murder of the individuals and their deposition into the bogs. The last chapter is "Bog Death and Human Sacrifice." She incorporates knowledge gained from crime investigation and forensic archaeology. Popular culture also plays a role, with Althouse-Green quoting Tolkien and referencing the 1973 human sacrifice film, "The Wicker Man." Althouse-Green clearly views the bog bodies as living and breathing people who suffered, died, and were situated in bogs for reasons that are becoming more clear thanks to the work of archaeologists. Her tenderness in describing beautiful preserved bodies, brains, and faces is supremely touching. A photo of Tollund Man bears this capition: "The serene face of Tollund Man. The stubble on his chin and the noose that throtted him are clearly visible. He looks as if he has just fallen asleep."
Although "Bog Bodies Uncovered" includes all of the academic necessities--footnotes, cited sources, bibliography, an appendix with details about the 25 bodies discussed in the book--Althouse-Green's writing is deliciously compelling. The book is a page-turner, superbly organized, and written for the fascinated nonspecialist as well as the academic. It is also richly illustrated with photos throughout plus a center section of excellent color photos--almost unheard of in academic publishing these days. The icing on the cake for the reader is crime writer Val McDermid's foreword.
I was drawn to "Body Bogs Uncovered" after reading Sarah Moss's "Ghost Wall," a novel about a contemporary family living as Iron Age Britons. The two books together were an intellectually irresistable combination. I am now going to reread "Ghost Wall," after learning more about Iron Age bogs. I am also seeking out more of Alhouse-Green's writing about Iron Age and Roman Britain.
Highly recommended!
As far as what these bodies tell us about life, ritual, and belief in the Iron Age, Althouse-Green presents many intriguing theories and possibilities. She draws from Greek and Roman writers Tacitus Strabo, Lucan, and others and their descriptions of the tribes of northwest Europe. She includes chapters on the characteristics of both victims and possible perpetrators, the magical and liminal nature of bogs, and religious specialists, such as Druids, who might have had a role in the murder of the individuals and their deposition into the bogs. The last chapter is "Bog Death and Human Sacrifice." She incorporates knowledge gained from crime investigation and forensic archaeology. Popular culture also plays a role, with Althouse-Green quoting Tolkien and referencing the 1973 human sacrifice film, "The Wicker Man." Althouse-Green clearly views the bog bodies as living and breathing people who suffered, died, and were situated in bogs for reasons that are becoming more clear thanks to the work of archaeologists. Her tenderness in describing beautiful preserved bodies, brains, and faces is supremely touching. A photo of Tollund Man bears this capition: "The serene face of Tollund Man. The stubble on his chin and the noose that throtted him are clearly visible. He looks as if he has just fallen asleep."
Although "Bog Bodies Uncovered" includes all of the academic necessities--footnotes, cited sources, bibliography, an appendix with details about the 25 bodies discussed in the book--Althouse-Green's writing is deliciously compelling. The book is a page-turner, superbly organized, and written for the fascinated nonspecialist as well as the academic. It is also richly illustrated with photos throughout plus a center section of excellent color photos--almost unheard of in academic publishing these days. The icing on the cake for the reader is crime writer Val McDermid's foreword.
I was drawn to "Body Bogs Uncovered" after reading Sarah Moss's "Ghost Wall," a novel about a contemporary family living as Iron Age Britons. The two books together were an intellectually irresistable combination. I am now going to reread "Ghost Wall," after learning more about Iron Age bogs. I am also seeking out more of Alhouse-Green's writing about Iron Age and Roman Britain.
Highly recommended!
February 21, 2020
Bog Bodies Uncovered has helped preserve Bog People in the swamp of my mind for thousands of years to come. But seriously-
The right book at the right time. I was seeking a page-turning work of weird or dark Non-Fiction, and this struck just the right chord for me.
The story of the 2000+ year old impeccably preserved Bog Bodies, as Aldhouse-Green describes, is a violent tale of mystery, crime, ritual, and potentially human sacrifice. The book flows from historical record, forensic study, descriptions of grotesque ritual, speculation, references to ancient (Roman) texts and shades of genre mystery/crime quite seamlessly.
Having seen Lindow Man at the British Museum and read Elizabeth Moss' Ghost Wall recently, my interested in Bog Bodies was already piqued. This book proved the topic to be of great interest to me and something I'd like to continue to learn about and study- a topic combining conjecture, ritual sacrifice, scientific evidence, historical text, and at it's core, a bone-chilling sense of mystery and the macabre. The world of the Bog Bodies was a violent one, and this book is not for the squeamish. I appreciate the stress Aldhouse-Green places on her respect for the dead, and she reminds us these are not relics or artifacts. These were human beings, first and foremost, who suffered violent and horrific deaths. This act of respect actually made reading about the deaths more real and disturbing.
Though the context/topical nature of the information shifts from chapter to chapter, the information provided does grow a little repetitive. The book itself (Thames & Hudson USA hardcover edition) is a gorgeous volume. From the cover to the text itself, including many illustration and useful reference pages, this book is a treasure, hopefully to be "preserved" for future generations to study and appreciate.
The right book at the right time. I was seeking a page-turning work of weird or dark Non-Fiction, and this struck just the right chord for me.
The story of the 2000+ year old impeccably preserved Bog Bodies, as Aldhouse-Green describes, is a violent tale of mystery, crime, ritual, and potentially human sacrifice. The book flows from historical record, forensic study, descriptions of grotesque ritual, speculation, references to ancient (Roman) texts and shades of genre mystery/crime quite seamlessly.
Having seen Lindow Man at the British Museum and read Elizabeth Moss' Ghost Wall recently, my interested in Bog Bodies was already piqued. This book proved the topic to be of great interest to me and something I'd like to continue to learn about and study- a topic combining conjecture, ritual sacrifice, scientific evidence, historical text, and at it's core, a bone-chilling sense of mystery and the macabre. The world of the Bog Bodies was a violent one, and this book is not for the squeamish. I appreciate the stress Aldhouse-Green places on her respect for the dead, and she reminds us these are not relics or artifacts. These were human beings, first and foremost, who suffered violent and horrific deaths. This act of respect actually made reading about the deaths more real and disturbing.
Though the context/topical nature of the information shifts from chapter to chapter, the information provided does grow a little repetitive. The book itself (Thames & Hudson USA hardcover edition) is a gorgeous volume. From the cover to the text itself, including many illustration and useful reference pages, this book is a treasure, hopefully to be "preserved" for future generations to study and appreciate.
December 17, 2015
This book had fascinating information about the prehistoric bodies found in European bogs, their probable lives, and theories about why they were killed, and a cover and pictures that are just begging to be booktalked together with written in bone. The text, however, was oddly redundant. I was told no less than four separate times that one man had been kneed in the lower back, and even source quotes are repeated, sometimes with the addition of another line, but other times verbatim.
March 1, 2022
Though this book gets a bit repetitive, and though it by no means solves Europe's Ancient Mystery (I don't think we ever will, since no one left a convenient little note explaining how the victims were chosen and why they were killed exactly), it does offer an extensive overview of 25 bog bodies as well as multiple theories as to why they were chosen and for what purpose they were killed. I particularly liked the instances in which Aldhouse-Green investigates the validity of certain theories (e.g. she looks at the theory that the bog bodies were hapless victims and the ropes and wooden stakes found were used in an attempt to drag them free; Aldhouse-Green finds this theory rather weak, because, to name just one thing, the ropes around the necks of the victims had often complicated knots that would tighten the rope in a noose-like manner, so hardly the kind of knot you would use in a bodged rescue attempt).
The instances in which Aldhouse-Green uses material from other cultures -specifically Grecian-Roman - felt a little weak to me at times; though different cultures can have common denominators, there's no reason to assume that tribes from Denmark did things the same way as the Romans (something Aldhouse-Green herself also admits).
I'm glad that this book included coloured photographs, and the quality of the paper in my edition was very good, too. Overall a good overview of this topic.
The instances in which Aldhouse-Green uses material from other cultures -specifically Grecian-Roman - felt a little weak to me at times; though different cultures can have common denominators, there's no reason to assume that tribes from Denmark did things the same way as the Romans (something Aldhouse-Green herself also admits).
I'm glad that this book included coloured photographs, and the quality of the paper in my edition was very good, too. Overall a good overview of this topic.
October 15, 2017
I thought that I was interested in this topic. Miranda Aldhouse-Green ‘s Bog Bodies Uncovered: Solving Europe’s Ancient Mystery pointed out to me how very violent the deaths were of the bog bodies found mostly in the 20th Century. As I read this book, I became truly horrified at how these victims died. Men, women and even children were killed in the most hideous ways, but then many were placed carefully in bogs in North Germany, Jutland, Denmark, NW England, and Ireland, and some of these burials were marked by sticks as though the people who had buried these poor souls wanted to remember where the burials were. Some may have been buried alive by being pinned down in a bog with particular kind of sticks being placed all the way around the body so the person could not move. It appears that every victim was also humiliated in some way by being tied up, head shaved, and striped naked or even worse. I also do not feel the author ‘solved’ this ancient mystery.
Yes, she illuminated the topic, but did not solved it as to why it was done. The bog bodies of this book that have been found are mostly from the Iron Age of Europe whose dates vary from 1600 BC-800 AD. I extremely doubt that I will ever read about bog bodies again.
Yes, she illuminated the topic, but did not solved it as to why it was done. The bog bodies of this book that have been found are mostly from the Iron Age of Europe whose dates vary from 1600 BC-800 AD. I extremely doubt that I will ever read about bog bodies again.
December 17, 2025
This title alone peaked my interest. I mean what more can you ask for than bodies in bigs with potential murder involved? I found a lot of the information fascinating. The only reason why I didn’t give it five stars is that sometimes the historical context given that didn’t necessarily apply to bog bodies or the regions they were located in. Overall was a very interesting read and it makes you wonder about those from centuries ago.
March 28, 2016
Among many other duties, scholars have two primary obligations to society: generate knowledge of our universe previously unknown and to share this knowledge with the world. Professor Emerita Miranda Aldhouse-Green has accomplished both in her long and illustrious career some of which is summarised in this tome concerning the comparatively few but very revealing human corpses preserved to varying degrees in the bogs of Northwestern Europe during the past 3+ millennia. These are wonderful discoveries, not in the trite sense of the word, but phenomena which incite wonder in our minds because of both the knowledge gleaned as well as the knowledge which is not revealed in their study. Aldhouse-Green describes the finds, their origins, places in history, really prehistory, and interprets the finds in the light mostly of classic Roman or Greek sources, but also in the light of comparable ethnographic information from other peoples. Scholars have two major audiences for dissemination of knowledge: There are other scholars where communication is carefully crafted with many original sources cited and conservative, circumspect speculation on interpretation of results. The other audience is the general public who are not interested in caution or sources but want good information offered in readable form, often with copious, expensive illustrations (after all, we are very visual animals!!). Aldhouse-Green has chosen a middle road, presenting us with a very readable book, well-illustrated and with a commendable array of pertinent references so the devoted reader would be able to find the sources used by the very knowledgeable author. I enjoyed the book as a lay reader, but the forensic scientist in me was annoyed by the continual use of "might have" in so many places. Still, it is good to let our minds wander out of our usual constricted scientific playpen to consider a wider range of possibilities. The index is useful but hardly complete which is frustrating for the anal-retentive scholars among us, including me.
Having finished the book a day after Good Friday I was struck by the parallel of the common European phenomenon of the classic scapegoat (Greek pharmakos) and the treatment of Yeshua ben Iosepa, the carpenter's son from Nazareth, in his last week of life. Read the book to find the many parallels and consider the implications! This book offers a wider perspective on the whole Easter phenomenon. For prehistoric Europe a new scapegoat was needed every year or so. For Christians there is only one who carries "the sins of the world."
Having finished the book a day after Good Friday I was struck by the parallel of the common European phenomenon of the classic scapegoat (Greek pharmakos) and the treatment of Yeshua ben Iosepa, the carpenter's son from Nazareth, in his last week of life. Read the book to find the many parallels and consider the implications! This book offers a wider perspective on the whole Easter phenomenon. For prehistoric Europe a new scapegoat was needed every year or so. For Christians there is only one who carries "the sins of the world."
June 8, 2019
I received this book as part of GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
Fascinating. Prior to reading Bog Bodies I probably had an inkling of what bog bodies were but no more. So it turns out that in the last centuries BC and first centuries AD, folks in Britain, Ireland and Northern Europe had a habit of burying people in bogs. People that had been fed on gruel, stripped naked and brutally murdered. And they were preserved by the bogs (apparently bogs have high concentrations of Sphagnum
Besides the science and details of the bodies themselves, the author goes into the culture of northern European in the early centuries AD and speculates on why these people were buried in the bogs. Since the northern Europeans themselves left no writings, a lot of it is based on Roman writings and archaeological evidence. So, outside the parts about the actual bodies that were found, a fair amount of the book is more speculation than actual facts. It was fascinating but I just wasn't expecting speculation to be such a huge part of this book. And the author is a professor emeritus working in Iron Age archaeology so I'll defer to her expertise.
Two final notes, the thing about archaeology that always bugs me is that it's essentially glorified grave robbery. But the author addresses that viewpoint several times and heavily emphasizes that these are human remains and deserving of respect.
Also, there's about ten pages of full color pictures of the bodies. They're a little . . . strange to see. I wouldn't say gruesome myself but I could imagine someone being bothered by them. Maybe 'breathtaking' is the right word. I'm not sure.
Fascinating. Prior to reading Bog Bodies I probably had an inkling of what bog bodies were but no more. So it turns out that in the last centuries BC and first centuries AD, folks in Britain, Ireland and Northern Europe had a habit of burying people in bogs. People that had been fed on gruel, stripped naked and brutally murdered. And they were preserved by the bogs (apparently bogs have high concentrations of Sphagnum
Besides the science and details of the bodies themselves, the author goes into the culture of northern European in the early centuries AD and speculates on why these people were buried in the bogs. Since the northern Europeans themselves left no writings, a lot of it is based on Roman writings and archaeological evidence. So, outside the parts about the actual bodies that were found, a fair amount of the book is more speculation than actual facts. It was fascinating but I just wasn't expecting speculation to be such a huge part of this book. And the author is a professor emeritus working in Iron Age archaeology so I'll defer to her expertise.
Two final notes, the thing about archaeology that always bugs me is that it's essentially glorified grave robbery. But the author addresses that viewpoint several times and heavily emphasizes that these are human remains and deserving of respect.
Also, there's about ten pages of full color pictures of the bodies. They're a little . . . strange to see. I wouldn't say gruesome myself but I could imagine someone being bothered by them. Maybe 'breathtaking' is the right word. I'm not sure.
January 23, 2019
4.5 stars. I don't generally enjoy nonfiction, but this book was an exception. It was fascinating, thorough, and informative. Aldhouse-Green did an excellent job presenting the various theories that surround bog bodies. Any question that the average person might have about bog bodies is answered. The numerous photos and illustrations were helpful as well.
The author is also very respectful and conscientious. She paid past archaeologists and historians their due, and she never seemed condescending. She is also respectful of the bodies themselves; I particularly appreciated the last few pages, which stressed the importance of viewing bog bodies as people rather than artifacts.
My only complaint is that the text could be meandering and repetitive at times. I felt like I was rereading the same facts over and over again. The author also included a lot of information that seemed to be barely related to the subject of bog bodies (ancient Egyptian art and burial customs of the modern day Vietnamese are both mentioned in passing). Even so, I thought this was an excellent book overall.
The author is also very respectful and conscientious. She paid past archaeologists and historians their due, and she never seemed condescending. She is also respectful of the bodies themselves; I particularly appreciated the last few pages, which stressed the importance of viewing bog bodies as people rather than artifacts.
My only complaint is that the text could be meandering and repetitive at times. I felt like I was rereading the same facts over and over again. The author also included a lot of information that seemed to be barely related to the subject of bog bodies (ancient Egyptian art and burial customs of the modern day Vietnamese are both mentioned in passing). Even so, I thought this was an excellent book overall.
February 19, 2017
Good summary of the forensic analyses of extant bog body discoveries in Northern Europe. Interesting but overly speculative discussion of why and under what circumstances people were killed and buried in bogs. Too many maybes and perhapses become tiresome. Too much repetition of previously discussed materials becomes annoying.
December 13, 2015
I don't think we'll ever know exactly why these people were deposited in bogs, but I like reading Green's books, and this covered some well known bog bodies and theories.
March 29, 2024
Eeeeeeextraordinary and comprehensive documentary about bog mummies from Iron Age, amply supplied with in situ photographs of the excavated bodies and their minute description, as well as the surroundings where they were discovered.
When, by mere chance, two years ago I discovered Glob’s famous book The Bog People, my astonishment regarding that marsh mummies were immense. After I read it, it was simple clear that I will want to find out more about this theme. Than I’ve found Aldhouse-Green’s “Bog Bodies Uncovered”. The author is among the most famous Celtologists and her archaeological and mythological books about Celtic deities and mythology are among my favourites. Nothing less is with this one as well.
Thus, again I’ve encountered with (now famous) Tollund man, maybe the best preserved bog body in all its glory, then Grauaballe man, Arden girl, Borre Fen man etc. and with the well preserved relics of the young, blindfolded girl from the Windeby bog in Germany. These individuals were sacrificed to the deities: probably Celtic, namely to Esus – tied to the tree and flogged or strangulated or Teutates – drowned. Yet, the author declared that the victims were sacrificed particularly to Nerthus, goddess of fertility, Mother Earth, “who in return so often gave their faces her blessing and preserved them through the millennia.” Often she referred to Tacitus which in his Germania wrote of the Germanic tribe, the Semmones known for human sacrifice proceedings: “At a time laid down in the distant past all peoples that are related by blood meet through their delegations in a wood, which the prophetic utterances of their ancestors, and inherited awe, have rendered sacred. Here they celebrate the grim initiation of their barbarous rites with a human sacrifice for the good of the community.”
In the first part of the book author explained all contemporary scientific methods they employed to scrutinise the bodies (which is actually a current update to Glob’s, now mostly obsolete, methods) and all the results and conclusions regarding their posture, garments, last meal and even the condition of their brains.
The second part of the book is dedicated to their everyday life, diet, habits and, of the utter importance for me – their religious views, rites and deities. Aldhouse-Green contemplated whether these people were sacrificed to Gods willingly (for some of them belonged to the nobles), by an accident, or were “the chosen ones”. She as well touched a bit of mythology to spread the veil of mystery regarding these miraculous discoveries of which she enclosed a large list at the end of the book of all bog bodies that are discovered to this day.
Overall, this book is my cordial recommendation to those who enjoy archaeological literature entwined with mythological origin and explanations.
When, by mere chance, two years ago I discovered Glob’s famous book The Bog People, my astonishment regarding that marsh mummies were immense. After I read it, it was simple clear that I will want to find out more about this theme. Than I’ve found Aldhouse-Green’s “Bog Bodies Uncovered”. The author is among the most famous Celtologists and her archaeological and mythological books about Celtic deities and mythology are among my favourites. Nothing less is with this one as well.
Thus, again I’ve encountered with (now famous) Tollund man, maybe the best preserved bog body in all its glory, then Grauaballe man, Arden girl, Borre Fen man etc. and with the well preserved relics of the young, blindfolded girl from the Windeby bog in Germany. These individuals were sacrificed to the deities: probably Celtic, namely to Esus – tied to the tree and flogged or strangulated or Teutates – drowned. Yet, the author declared that the victims were sacrificed particularly to Nerthus, goddess of fertility, Mother Earth, “who in return so often gave their faces her blessing and preserved them through the millennia.” Often she referred to Tacitus which in his Germania wrote of the Germanic tribe, the Semmones known for human sacrifice proceedings: “At a time laid down in the distant past all peoples that are related by blood meet through their delegations in a wood, which the prophetic utterances of their ancestors, and inherited awe, have rendered sacred. Here they celebrate the grim initiation of their barbarous rites with a human sacrifice for the good of the community.”
In the first part of the book author explained all contemporary scientific methods they employed to scrutinise the bodies (which is actually a current update to Glob’s, now mostly obsolete, methods) and all the results and conclusions regarding their posture, garments, last meal and even the condition of their brains.
The second part of the book is dedicated to their everyday life, diet, habits and, of the utter importance for me – their religious views, rites and deities. Aldhouse-Green contemplated whether these people were sacrificed to Gods willingly (for some of them belonged to the nobles), by an accident, or were “the chosen ones”. She as well touched a bit of mythology to spread the veil of mystery regarding these miraculous discoveries of which she enclosed a large list at the end of the book of all bog bodies that are discovered to this day.
Overall, this book is my cordial recommendation to those who enjoy archaeological literature entwined with mythological origin and explanations.
July 7, 2024
The first half of this book (the half that deals with the history of the discovery of bog bodies and the scientific study of the bodies themselves) was great - 4 stars. Unfortunately the author takes a nosedive into rampant infuriating speculation in the second half that makes me mad this book was published by an academic press. Just a few examples of the awfullness (there are many more):
After describing the physical malformities of some of the bog bodies - "their continual discomfort may also have caused them go be surly and withdrawn, leading - perhaps - to their unwarranted reputation for witchcraft or ill-wishing and even to their blame for the community's misfortune."
After describing two bodies that were beheaded - "Is it likely that both men were regarded as having special and dangerous powers, charged with such mental (or spiritual) force that particular efforts were needed to neutralize them by severing heads and depositing then at some distance from the bodies?"
Discussing a bog body from the 4th century BC "she may have been buried in this way because she was a malefactor. Lead was favored in European antiquity as a base metal that symbolized the 'dark side'of things... in addition the pain from her arthritic knees and rotten teeth may well have made the woman bad tempered and frightening and so her burial may signify the need to neutralize her spirit at death."
The author also frequently describes ritual practices that took place centuries or millenia and hundreds or thousands of miles away from the places and times where bog bodies were deposited and makes unfounded suggestions about the similarities of the rituals.
Example - after spending two pages describing Iron Age Gallo-British curse tablets - "It is pure speculation to make any kind of link between the message conveyed by these [tablets] and the violent deaths of bog bodies, but the two phenomena are connected by the utter savegry presented."
Not to mention the continual quoting of Roman "historians" about the Celtic and Gaulic communities without showing some healthy skepticism about the historical accuracy of those writers depicting cultures they deemed to be barbaric.
The whole second half of the book was SO MADDENING!!!
After describing the physical malformities of some of the bog bodies - "their continual discomfort may also have caused them go be surly and withdrawn, leading - perhaps - to their unwarranted reputation for witchcraft or ill-wishing and even to their blame for the community's misfortune."
After describing two bodies that were beheaded - "Is it likely that both men were regarded as having special and dangerous powers, charged with such mental (or spiritual) force that particular efforts were needed to neutralize them by severing heads and depositing then at some distance from the bodies?"
Discussing a bog body from the 4th century BC "she may have been buried in this way because she was a malefactor. Lead was favored in European antiquity as a base metal that symbolized the 'dark side'of things... in addition the pain from her arthritic knees and rotten teeth may well have made the woman bad tempered and frightening and so her burial may signify the need to neutralize her spirit at death."
The author also frequently describes ritual practices that took place centuries or millenia and hundreds or thousands of miles away from the places and times where bog bodies were deposited and makes unfounded suggestions about the similarities of the rituals.
Example - after spending two pages describing Iron Age Gallo-British curse tablets - "It is pure speculation to make any kind of link between the message conveyed by these [tablets] and the violent deaths of bog bodies, but the two phenomena are connected by the utter savegry presented."
Not to mention the continual quoting of Roman "historians" about the Celtic and Gaulic communities without showing some healthy skepticism about the historical accuracy of those writers depicting cultures they deemed to be barbaric.
The whole second half of the book was SO MADDENING!!!
July 27, 2020
I liked this book well enough. Although the subtitle: Solving Europe's Ancient Mystery, because the mystery wasn't really solved. There was very credible hypothesis to the cause of the bog bodies, but nothing that evolved into fact. The idea of the people mudered and placed in the bogs were the result of incest was tenuous. Furthermore, the idea that Iron Age societies in Ireland and Wales placed high value on virginity is doubtful. After all, the source is by Welsh myths, written by those well versed by Christianity speaks for itself. What needs to be remembered in these instances is that people in the ancient world had a very different concept to death and dying than we do. Also what may be across the board in one European region wasn't necessarily the same in a boarder land. Miranda Aldhouse-Green has written a very interesting and commendable book. For the present I am of the opinion that the reason or reasons for the bindings and death is still largely unknown. I think based on some of the references in this book modern humans have allowed to be clouded by anicent Greek attitudes towards sexuality and disability towards othe ancient peoples. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't the suggestion that the two men embracing in the bog couldn't have been lovers. While that would open up to the argument they were killed because of their love. But not necessarily the case. We still come at our ancestors as being "primitive", governed solely by sexuality, fertility and able bodism. Yes those things do help soldify the survival of a community, but based on funerary rites our ancestors were far from simple. Everywhere archaeologists have gone has shown complex networks, systems and inventions. Thus strongly indicating complex thought processes and beliefs. In terms of critical thinking about the past far too many rely on the ancient Greeks and Victorian era conclusions.
January 11, 2018
The Short and the Quick of It: a book about bog mummies: how they’re made, how they might have been killed and why, what they can tell us about iron age life in northern Europe.
The Long and the Tall of It: This was good! I expected it to be dryer than it was. Aldhouse-Green explains the science and history behind bog bodies in a way that makes sense and keeps the reader’s attention. I loved reading the stories of the various mummies and was fascinated by the speculation of why they might be there. We still don’t know! We’ll probably never know! That fucks me up, my dudes! Most of these people were killed in horrific ways (virtually none of the found bodies died naturally) and we don’t! know! why! Was it ritual sacrifice? Was it punishment for crimes? Was it something else?? Who knows! Not me! I even managed to get quite attached to Yde Girl, I’ll be honest, and it bothers me that we don’t know why she was even there in that bog all those years.
This is a fairly short book, 224 pages or so, includes photos and pictures of most of the major bog mummies. I was simulataneously enraptured and repulsed by some of them; they’re so real. I mean, they’re real, but they look like they died recently, like modern people, when most are well over 1500 years old, many dating back even further.
My biggest problem is that Aldhouse-Green spends a lot of time “leading in” to other chapters, e.g. she starts talking about the possibility of ritual sacrifice and then say “but I’ll talk about that in Chapter 10″ about a dozen times. It feels like… baiting, I guess. But that’s a minor gripe.
Rating: 5 bogs
The Long and the Tall of It: This was good! I expected it to be dryer than it was. Aldhouse-Green explains the science and history behind bog bodies in a way that makes sense and keeps the reader’s attention. I loved reading the stories of the various mummies and was fascinated by the speculation of why they might be there. We still don’t know! We’ll probably never know! That fucks me up, my dudes! Most of these people were killed in horrific ways (virtually none of the found bodies died naturally) and we don’t! know! why! Was it ritual sacrifice? Was it punishment for crimes? Was it something else?? Who knows! Not me! I even managed to get quite attached to Yde Girl, I’ll be honest, and it bothers me that we don’t know why she was even there in that bog all those years.
This is a fairly short book, 224 pages or so, includes photos and pictures of most of the major bog mummies. I was simulataneously enraptured and repulsed by some of them; they’re so real. I mean, they’re real, but they look like they died recently, like modern people, when most are well over 1500 years old, many dating back even further.
My biggest problem is that Aldhouse-Green spends a lot of time “leading in” to other chapters, e.g. she starts talking about the possibility of ritual sacrifice and then say “but I’ll talk about that in Chapter 10″ about a dozen times. It feels like… baiting, I guess. But that’s a minor gripe.
Rating: 5 bogs
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July 25, 2018Repetitive in a way that didn't work for me at all (including but not only in its use of the words "liminal" and "ritual") and way, way more focused on spinning one fact into six unsupported what-ifs than I was really interested in reading.
Sure, and maybe it was a pond to keep frogs in! If this is so, it suggests that the custom of keeping frogs could have maybe, possibly had religious significance, if it was a sacred pond.
The repetition and the long speculative asides really reminded me of last-minute college papers. I don't know, maybe the author has a solid foundation of supporting information I'm not privy to behind the what-ifs. But if so I'd like to be!
The surrounding bog has yielded three ancient bog bodies, a man and two women, but these people were placed in the bog in the 8th century BC, several hundred years earlier than the construction and occupation of the village. However, the villagers dug an oval pond in one corner of the settlement: it might simply have been used to water livestock, but it could have been a sacred watery place, designed for prayer and the deposition of offerings to the gods. If this is so, it suggests that the custom of placating the marsh spirits continued long after the three individuals were killed and laid in the bog to be preserved for ever. It is even possible that the later settlers knew the dead bodies were there and that they were deemed to act as bog-guardians to the living.
Sure, and maybe it was a pond to keep frogs in! If this is so, it suggests that the custom of keeping frogs could have maybe, possibly had religious significance, if it was a sacred pond.
The repetition and the long speculative asides really reminded me of last-minute college papers. I don't know, maybe the author has a solid foundation of supporting information I'm not privy to behind the what-ifs. But if so I'd like to be!
November 13, 2025
This informative study is written for a general audience but has plentiful endnotes and a good bibliography for readers who want to delve into more scholarly works on the subject. There are also numerous photographs (monochrome) and an appendix listing all the bog bodies covered by or mentioned in the book. The first few chapters are a bit scatter-shot, but they are basically a long introduction. The later chapters are more focused and provide the real "meat" of the work. The bog bodies are a fascinating mystery, and barring some dramatic discovery about Bronze and Iron Age culture, it is unlikely ever to be "solved." Unlike ancient cultures with preserved writing, there is no "story" to explain these killings. We must interpret them through other artifacts and indirect references in Roman sources. The various ideas and theories about why human bodies were placed in bogs are strange but quite interesting. Ms. Aldhouse-Green strikes a nice balance between examining the entire bog people phenomenon and examining specific finds to show their importance and context. A few more maps would have been useful, but that is a minor issue. Recommended to anyone interested in the subject.
February 1, 2018
Natural bogs having preservative properties makes for some pretty fascinating and shocking modern-day discoveries while harvesting peat. Who are these ancient individuals, and why where they intentionally interred in a bog? The bog bodies herein are captivating and mysterious, and modern science allows researchers to perform impressive forensic feats toward discovering their histories. And, come on, who doesn't love bog bodies?
This book contains oodles of great information, excellent illustrations and color photos, and lots of compelling food for thought. Unfortunately, it also suffers from poor editing. Although each chapter was purportedly focused on a discrete topic, they were more or less indistinct from one another due to boundless repetition. The author also could not resist wandering frequently into the realm of conjecture which, to a reader accustomed to good scientific writing, was distracting and grating. Recommended for fans of history, archaeology and forensics, as long as you can look past misuses of "beg the question" without shuddering.
This book contains oodles of great information, excellent illustrations and color photos, and lots of compelling food for thought. Unfortunately, it also suffers from poor editing. Although each chapter was purportedly focused on a discrete topic, they were more or less indistinct from one another due to boundless repetition. The author also could not resist wandering frequently into the realm of conjecture which, to a reader accustomed to good scientific writing, was distracting and grating. Recommended for fans of history, archaeology and forensics, as long as you can look past misuses of "beg the question" without shuddering.
January 13, 2020
After a few well-written and well-researched chapters, the book becomes repetitive and focuses on the author’s preferred theory, “The weight of evidence for religious involvement strongly indicates that sacrificial rites were the main reason for Iron Age European bog killings,” (pg 191). The first four or so chapters are worth reading for an up-to-date summary of the bog body research. Once she establishes that the bog bodies were over killed (unnecessarily mutilated to achieve the death of the victim) and unusually interred in remote locations, she assembles a small amount of diverse and, she admits, possibly inapplicable evidence to support her theory. It was frustrating to me that other theories, such as simple jealousy or fear, were not enumerated or evaluated. The author had much knowledge to share, but, for me, the book went off the rails into tedious speculation.
August 31, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book. It's a good basic, introductory overview of bog bodies, but the author makes a lot of wild and unsubstantiated claims. She relies heavily on Roman sources without ever really interrogating the bias of their authors, and spends very little time on any archaeological studies of the societies that actually produced the bog bodies.
I can't tell if some of this is just because it's not an academic text (at least, my impression is that it was written for a broader audience), but even so, it's disappointing. It is still probably a good resource if you know absolutely nothing about bog bodies and want someplace to start.
I can't tell if some of this is just because it's not an academic text (at least, my impression is that it was written for a broader audience), but even so, it's disappointing. It is still probably a good resource if you know absolutely nothing about bog bodies and want someplace to start.
September 21, 2019
A fascinating read. More like a 3.5 from me. It takes a little bit of mental exercise to get through this. The text can seem a little disjointed at times. It's like a bunch of essays tied together with a common theme. I had to read a few passages over again to understand where the author was going to lead us. There are some delightful references to various literature and folklore too. If you like history and forensics, or even just like constructing the events of mysteries, this is a fun read. There are some grisly pictures here and there, so I don't recommend reading if you're squeamish or while you're eating.
May 15, 2023
This was a very good book that approached the bog mummies like a criminal investigation. She examines all the forensic evidence as well as historical records of that time and place. One thing I learned was that bog burials were rare and exceptional. This was definitely not the norm for those people in that time, which makes the mystery even more interesting. The people probably knew that the bodies would be preserved, so what drove them to put these specific people there? One thing she suggests is that the people may have believed that the lack of decomposition would keep the spirit trapped within the body, so it could either not get to the afterlife, or not come back and exact revenge.
November 13, 2017
Miranda Aldhouse-Green takes a look at the mystery of the bog bodies: how and where they were discovered; the world the bog people lived in; crime scene investigation of the bodies, how bog environments preserve bodies; whether the bog bodies were accident execution or murder victims; the ways they were killed; who might have done the deeds; and why this was done. The book is interesting and informative, with a great deal of research and many photographs. However, there is also a great deal of speculation, repetition and no definitive answers.
May 29, 2024
This was a very poorly edited book, from the dreadful grammatical errors in the foreword by Val McDermid, to the constant repetition of keywords and chunks of information. I felt it read more like a dissertation rather than a book and to state that it is ‘Solving Europe’s Ancient Mystery’ is blatantly misleading. Nothing is ‘solved’ and the use of ancient and contemporary writings, fiction and poetry, brings nothing to the party.
Overall it’s a real disappointment and I could not recommend it.
Overall it’s a real disappointment and I could not recommend it.
December 8, 2025
3.5 - 4 stars
It was very interesting to learn about the various bog bodies discovered in Europe and the circumstances behind how each individual died. There are still many unknowns but I felt the author did a good job of explaining various theories and gave context to the times when they occurred.
There was a bit too much repetition after a while and some chapters felt "padded" with unnecessary information.
But overall this was still a good detailed (but readable) overview of the subject. The photographs were also fascinating but disturbing.
It was very interesting to learn about the various bog bodies discovered in Europe and the circumstances behind how each individual died. There are still many unknowns but I felt the author did a good job of explaining various theories and gave context to the times when they occurred.
There was a bit too much repetition after a while and some chapters felt "padded" with unnecessary information.
But overall this was still a good detailed (but readable) overview of the subject. The photographs were also fascinating but disturbing.
September 2, 2021
An excellent overview of European bog bodies, providing insight into their interment in marshy places. Aldhouse-Green writes with respect towards the prehistoric deceased and explores every aspect of their ‘burial’. While it is an engaging and interesting read, some of the assumptions and theories described by Aldhouse-Green can be wildly imaginative, but this is recognised and addressed by the writer. Overall, a highly educational read, easily accessible to all readers.
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