Artefacts
When Tollund Man was discovered, he was completely naked besides 3 items found with the body. Experts believe that his clothes may have dissolved in the bog due to the acids and other fibres found within. The items found at the site were:
- The body - Tollund Man was laying on his right side and was curled up with the knees pulled in close to the chest and extremely well preserved, with many distinct facial features still recognisable. The body was 161 centimetres tall and the hair on his head was approximately 1-2 centimetres long without no styling.The eyebrows were partially preserved and there was also stubble on his chin, cheeks and upper lip, about 1 millimetre long. The mouth and eyes were closed and the face seemed to have a peaceful look, as if he was sleeping. All that was left of his arms and hands was the structure of his skeleton with a small amount of skin tissue. Both legs were partially well preserved, with parts of the knees skeletonise and the lower legs were decomposed. Both feet were extremely well preserved but without toe nails. Image 6 below shows a complete body image of Tollund Man before preservation. (Knud Thorvaldsen, 1950)
- The cap - fastened on Tollund Man's head, was a pointed leather cap. It was constructed with 8 pieces of sheepskin which were sown together with thread made of wool. One side of the cap was the skin of the sheep, and the other was the fur, which was on the inside of the cap. The cap was secured through 2 leather straps that were attached near the ears and tied under his chin a loop. The cap may have been used to keep his head warm or protect him from rain when working. Image 3 below shows the cap that is worn on Tollund Man's head. (Knud Thorvaldsen, 1950)
- The belt - tied tightly around the waist of Tollund Man, was a leather belt. The belt was approximately 2 centimetres wide and approximately 77 centimetres long, made of unevenly cut oxhide. One end of the belt had been cut or slit, in which the other end was fed through and tied in a knot to secure the belt and tighten it if needed. The belt was most likely used to hold his clothes in place, for example his pants. Image 5 below shows the belt around Tollund Man's waist. (Knud Thorvaldsen, 1950)
- The rope - tied around Tollund Man's neck and running down his back was a rope. The rope was made of animal hide and was braided with 2 strips of leather approximately 2 centimetres wide and tied in the form of a noose, with a knot tied at the back of the neck. The loose end of the noose was approximately 1 metre long, which was found rolled up and under neath the body when discovered. The end of the noose showed clear signs that is was cut with a knife. The noose was approximately 155 centimetres in length, with the circumference tied around the neck only 25 centimetres. The rope was most likely used to kill Tollund Man. Image 1 below shows the noose tied around Tollund Man's neck. (Knud Thorvaldsen, 1950)
Images of the Artefacts
1. A noose tied around the neck of Tollund Man
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2. Tollund Man's upper body.
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3. Tollund Man's cap that is strapped under his chin.
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4. Complete body shot of Tollund Man.
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5. The belt found around Tollund Man's waist.
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6. A photo of Tollund Man before he was preserved.
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