A swamp mummy from 5,000 years ago has been discovered in Denmark. The deceased was sacrificed
Near Copenhagen, archaeologists have discovered the well-preserved remains of a man. Researchers say the “swamp man” about 5,000 years ago was murdered and sacrificed.
Danish archaeologists from the Roskilde Museum have been conducting excavations in the municipality of Egedal, which is located near Copenhagen. A housing development is soon to be built at the site of the work, so this was the last chance for the researchers to see what secrets the land hides. After several weeks of work, one of the researchers came across a bone sticking out of the mud.
Archaeologists have unearthed a swamp mummy from 5,000 years ago
Scientists dug up a total of most of the leg bones, pelvis and jawbone. The skeleton was well preserved, but not complete. Christian Dedenroth-Schou, the author of the discovery, says it’s a so-called swamp mummy, a corpse that has been preserved by the conditions of the bog.
The water in the bog is acidified and low in oxygen. In such an environment, the bacteria that are responsible for decomposing the dead body cannot survive. Research has shown that the skeleton belonged to a human who may have lived up to 5,000 years ago. This means that it is one of…
