Ancient site · Other
Tollund Man (find site)
In 1950 peat cutters near Silkeborg in Denmark found a man's body so well preserved that they thought he was a recent murder victim. He had died between about 405 and 384 BCE, in the Pre-Roman Iron Age.
The acid, oxygen-poor bog had preserved his skin and face. A rope around his neck shows he was hanged, but nobody knows whether he was sacrificed or executed. He is one of the best known of northern Europe's many bog bodies.
- Dates
- died c. 405–384 BCE
- Still standing
- No, or only traces
- Location
- 56.16° N, 9.39° E
How we know
No writing existed in Iron Age Denmark; the body was found in 1950 and dated by radiocarbon.
Nearby sites
- Nebra sky disc find site (Mittelberg) disc buried c. 1600 BCE
- Biskupin built c. 747–722 BCE; lived in into the 6th century BCE
- Star Carr c. 9300–8500 BCE
- Hadrian's Wall begun 122 CE; Roman rule ended c. 410 CE
- Ness of Brodgar c. 3500–2200 BCE
- Skara Brae c. 3180–2500 BCE