Clonycavan Man: A 2,300-Year-Old Murder Mystery
In March 2003, the body of a man who lived during the Iron Age was discovered in a peat bog in Ireland. Known as the Clonycavan Man, the well-preserved remains indicate that the body was not that of a man who died a natural or honorable death, but one who was brutally murdered. The mysteries surrounding his death are plentiful. Who was this man? Why was he so brutally murdered? How was his body so well preserved for so many years? And what is the significance of his highly groomed hair?
The Clonycavan Man’s remains are referred to as a “bog body.” The discovery of ancient and well-preserved mummies in peat bogs has been fairly widespread. When a dead body is deposited into bog water that is highly acidic, low in temperature, and low in oxygen, the body can remain intact for thousands of years, including skin, hair, and organs. This unintended mummies give us a glimpse into the lives and deaths of ancient humans who weren’t necessarily honored as a royal or dignitary, like the mummified remains found in Egypt.