Lindow Man

The body in the bog

The body of this man was discovered in 1984 in Lindow Moss bog in north west England.

The man’s skin, hair and body were preserved by the bog. Experts looked at them to try to work out when he died and who he was.

Here's what they found out:

He died some time between 2 BC and AD 119
He was about 25 years old when he died
He was about 168 cm tall and weighed 60-65 kg
His fingernails, beard and moustache were very neat and he had not done any hard work recently

Take a closer look at Lindow Man to find out more.

About Lindow Man

Found: Lindow Moss, Cheshire, UK in 1984

Date: between 2 BC and AD 119

Find him at the Museum: Rm 50

A murder mystery

In 1984, a man working in Lindow Moss bog found an object. He thought it was a piece of wood but it was someone's foot. When the bog was searched, more of the same body was found - it became known as Lindow Man. The body was taken to the British Museum to be examined.
The bog

This is where Lindow Man was found. It is called a peat bog – peat is a special type of thick, dark, soggy soil. The conditions in the bog kept the body of Lindow Man from rotting away.
Here's one we made later...

The chemicals in the peat bog turned Lindow Man’s skin orange and his hair a ginger colour. Using information from his skull, skin and hair, experts have created a picture that shows what he might have looked like when he was alive.
X-ray vision

Lindow Man has several injuries on his head and neck, and he was dead before he was placed face down in a pool in the bog. But nobody is sure who killed him or why. This X-ray shows that the body was squashed flat by the weight of the peat.
Lindow Man's last supper

No clothes or jewellery were found on Lindow man – all he was wearing was a fox fur armband. Experts can tell what food he ate from looking in his stomach. His last meal probably included flat bread, cooked over a fire made of wood and heather.
A two-thousand-year bog bath!

The body was lifted out of the bog inside a big block of peat, and taken to the British Museum to be cleaned. Cleaning his body took five days. In this photograph water is being gently sprayed on the peat to wash it away from the body.
The big freeze

After being examined and cleaned, the body was freeze-dried to stop it rotting. In the past many bog bodies were reburied soon after they were found, because they started to decay once they were dug up. Once the body was freeze-dried it was put into a specially built case.
Looking after Lindow Man

The Museum has to look after Lindow Man very carefully. The temperature in his display case is always kept at 20° C. In the photograph you can see all the pipes and machines that help to keep his body in exactly the right conditions.
Lindow Man's gallery home

Lindow Man has only been off display three times in 25 years, since he was first viewed by the public in 1985. In this picture he's returning to his case at the Museum from a visit to Manchester and Newcastle. You can visit Room 50 and see him for yourself!