The Tollund Man: A must-see 2500-year-old undecayed corpse of a Dane

The mysterious remains of the Tollund Man, who died over 2,500 years ago but was remarkably preserved in a Danish bog, continue to fascinate historians and archaeologists today.

According to a tweet on Tuesday, May 30, by Historic Vids, "Tollund Man, a Dane who died 2500 years ago. His body was discovered in 1950, and was so well preserved he was briefly mistaken by authorities as a recent murder victim."

The peat cutters who discovered the corpse in May 1950 in a peat bog near Silkeborg, Denmark "lay 60 m (200 ft) away from firm ground, buried under 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) of peat, his body arranged in the fetal position."

The surprising state of preservation revealed details about the man's final moments.

He wore "a pointed skin cap of sheepskin and wool, fastened under his chin by a hide thong, and a smooth hide belt around his waist. Additionally, a noose made of plaited animal hide was drawn tight around his neck and trailed down his back."

Carbon dating revealed he died around 400 BC at about age 40.

“The cause of death has been determined as by hanging. Scholars believe the man was a human sacrifice, rather than an executed criminal, because of the arranged position of his body, and his eyes and mouth being closed."

Despite spending more than two millennia in the bog, the natural preservation abilities of peat allowed the Tollund Man's undecayed remains to survive largely intact.