• Email Us: [email protected]
  • Contact Us: +1 718 874 1545
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Medical Market Report

  • Home
  • All Reports
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Human Bog Body Found By Police In Ireland Could Date Back To 500 BCE

January 26, 2024 by Deborah Bloomfield

Human remains that are over 2,000 to 2,500 years old have been recovered by archaeologists within the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The discovery, what is essentially a new “bog body”, was made in peatland at an excavation site in Bellaghy in October 2023. At the time, police were made aware that human bones had been found at the site and it was unclear whether they were old or more recent.

“On initial examination, we couldn’t be sure if the remains were ancient or the result of a more recent death”, Detective Inspector Nikki Deehan explained in a statement.

Advertisement

“Therefore, we proceeded to excavate the body with full forensic considerations in a sensitive and professional manner. This approach also ensures that any DNA evidence could be secured for any potential criminal investigation. Ultimately this wasn’t the case in this instance.”

At first, the team carrying out the excavation discovered bones from a human’s left lower leg and right arm. These included a tibia and fibula, as well as a humerus, ulna, and radius bone. As they continued to search, the team recovered more bones belonging to the same individual.

The first findings had been close to the surface, but the bones of a lower left arm and left femur were soon discovered about 5 meters (16.4 feet) south of the surface remains. Additional finger bones, fingernails, part of the left femur, and the breastbone were found upon further excavation.

Given the state of the remains, it is not possible to draw too many conclusions about the individual themselves. However, postmortem analysis conducted by a forensic anthropologist has determined that the individual was probably male, and between 13-17 years old when they died.

Advertisement

Bog bodies are human remains that have been naturally mummified in peat bogs, which contain acids that preserve bodies for centuries. Throughout history, thousands of people have been preserved in this way after their bodies fell into the muck, either after being murdered, sacrificed, or simply by accident. 

Unlike some bog bodies, the remains of humans that are naturally mummified in peat bogs, these fragments have retained some of the individual’s skin, finger, and toenails, and maybe even a kidney.

“The well-preserved nature of the body meant radiocarbon dating could be used to ascertain the time of death,” Detective Inspector Deehan added.

Advertisement

ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.

“The radiocarbon dates have placed the time of death between 2,000 – 2,500 years ago, approximately 500 [BCE]. This is the first time radiocarbon dating has been used on a bog body in Northern Ireland, and the only one to still exist, making this a truly unique archaeological discovery for Northern Ireland.”

According to Dr Alastair Ruffel of Queen’s University Belfast; “To ensure the highest possible standards in forensic recovery of human remains were maintained, we conducted two phases of high-resolution ground penetrating radar survey at the site. The results showed no indications of further human remains.”

The remains were initially discovered about 1 meter (3.2 feet) below the current ground surface, which, Ruffel explained, “matches the radiocarbon estimates.” It seems the remains were also “amongst a cluster of fossil tree remains”, which suggests the individual “may have died or been buried in a copse or stand of trees, or washed in.”

Advertisement

The Chief Executive of Forest Services, John Joe O’Boyle, added: “Forest Service recognizes the significance of this very exciting find. This ancient bog body was discovered on land owned by the Department and we are now working with National Museums NI to transfer it to them so that they can continue with further examination and preservation of the remains.”

“I hope, in due course, the find will help us all understand better something of our very early history.”

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Paris ramps up security as jihadist attacks trial starts
  2. Cricket-‘Western bloc’ has let Pakistan down, board chief says
  3. Ancient Bison Found In Permafrost Is So Well Preserved Scientists Want To Clone It
  4. Where Inside Us Do We Feel Love?

Source Link: Human Bog Body Found By Police In Ireland Could Date Back To 500 BCE

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • An Alien-Like Fish With A See-Through Head And Green Eyes Lurks In The Ocean’s Dark Depths
  • Africa Wants To Change Misleading World Map, The “Wow!” Signal Was Likely From An Extraterrestrial Source, And Much More This Week
  • A “Good Death”: How Do Doctors Want To Die?
  • People Are Throwing Baby Puffins Off Cliffs In Iceland Again – But Why?
  • Yet Another Ancient Human Skull Turns Out To Be Denisovan
  • Gen Z Might Not Be On Course For A Midlife Crisis – Good News, Right? Wrong
  • Glowing Plants, Punk Ankylosaur, And Has The Wow! Signal Been Solved?
  • Pulsar Fleeing A Supernova Spotted Where Neither Of Them Should Be
  • 20 Years After Hurricane Katrina: Is It Time For A New Approach To Hurricane Classification?
  • Dog Named Scribble Replicates Quantum Factorization Records – So We Tried It Too
  • How Old Is The Solar System? (And How Can We Tell?)
  • Next Week, A Record-Breaking Over 7 Billion People Will See The Total Lunar Eclipse
  • The Goblin Shark Has The Fastest Jaws In The Ocean, Firing Like A Slingshot At Speeds Of 3.1-Meters-Per-Second
  • We Thought Geological Boundaries Were Random. Now, A New Study Has Identified Hidden Patterns
  • Do Fish Sleep?
  • The Biblical Flood Myth That Inspired Noah’s Ark Had A Sinister Twist
  • Massive Review Of 19 Autism Therapies Finds No Strong Evidence And Lack Of Safety Data
  • Giant City-Swallowing Cracks In Earth’s Surface Are A “New Geo-Hydrological Hazard”
  • Three Incredible Telescopes Looked At The Butterfly Nebula To Learn Where Earth Came From
  • The Pacific Ocean Is So Vast It Contains Its Own Antipodes
  • Business
  • Health
  • News
  • Science
  • Technology
  • +1 718 874 1545
  • +91 78878 22626
  • [email protected]
Office Address
Prudour Pvt. Ltd. 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300 New York City, NY 10170.

Powered by Prudour Network

Copyrights © 2025 · Medical Market Report. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version