Discovery
On May 6th 1950, two brothers by the names of Viggo and Emil Højgaard and their family were digging for peat in Bjældskovdal. This area is located approximately 12 kilometres west of Silkeborg in Denmark. The family was digging for fuel from the peat bog, when they came across an unfamiliar object. Grete Højgaard, the wife of Viggo, went into the peat and began to use her hands to reveal that the family had discovered a human corpse, which was Tollund Man. The family originally believed that they had discovered a murdered body of a young school boy that had disappeared from a nearby city, but once police were called to the scene, they had realised that this body was no recent murder victim. The body was discovered approximately 50-60 metres below solid ground buried under 3 metres of peat. The body was curled up with its knees brought towards its chest and was found wearing a cap and a belt, and also had a rope around its neck. The body looked like it was sleeping, as its facial features were so distinctly preserved along with a peaceful look on its face. This is an example of an accidental discovery, and once reported to the police, archaeologist and forensic analyst Professor Peter Vilhelm Glob was called to the scene to examine the body. "On his visit to the find site in Bjældskovdal, Glob told newspapers that the body was over 2,000 years old" (Christian Fischer, 2007) and was an example of an ancient Bog Body. A team of archaeologists carefully excavated a slab of the peat that Tollund Man was preserved in at the site, then placing it in a crate. This was then taken to the Museum of Silkeborg, Denmark, in which experts carefully removed all excess peat to reveal the complete body and begin the analysis of the discovery. Upon first observation, Professor Glob was able to identify that there were many simple factors that contributed to the preservation of Tollund Man's body, which include:
- The acid in the peat bog, which preserved the skin and distinct physical features.
- Lack of oxygen underneath the surface of the peat, acting as a protective layer on the body.
- The cold climate of the Danish region, further preserving the external features of the body, as well as some internal organs.
Images from the Discovery
1. The body of Tollund Man is revealed in the peat.
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2. Members of the Højgaard family near the site.
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3. Viggo Højgaard standing near the site.
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4. Members of the community and archaeologists carefully lifting the body in the crate from the site.
7. Professor P.V. Glob at the site at Bjældskovdal.
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5. An example of a peat bog in Denmark.
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6. A map showing the area of Silkeborg, about 12 kilometres away from where Tollund Man was discovered.
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