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3,000-year-old bog body found in Irish bogland

Discovery believed to be that of a female ‘human sacrifice’

By
CATHAL DERVAN,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Friday, August 12, 2011, 5:19 AM
Updated Friday, August 12, 2011, 6:16 AM

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The bog body, discovered near Portlaoise, Co Laois, estimated to be more than 2,000 years old
The bog body, discovered near Portlaoise, Co Laois, estimated to be more than 2,000 years old
Photo by Alan Betson


A bog body estimated to be up to 3,000-years-old has been discovered on bogland in the Irish midlands.

The National Museum of Ireland has described the discovery, in County Laois, as ‘very exciting’.

Initial examinations of the prehistoric remains, believed to be the result of a human sacrifice, indicate it could be a woman’s body.

A spokesman for Ireland’s National Museum confirmed to the Irish Times that the find is one of very few bog bodies discovered in situ. As a result not only the remains but its intact environment can be studied.

Keeper of the Museum’s Irish antiquities division Ned Kelly told the paper that there have been over 100 bog bodies found in Ireland.

Many, he said, were not well preserved and some were just parts of bodies removed from their sites and found inside milling machines.

“At present we can see a pair of legs, which are quite well preserved, probably the best preserved part of the body,” said Kelly speaking at the County Laois site.

“On preliminary examination we can be reasonably certain that it is a late prehistoric bog body.

“At this stage we do not know the precise age or gender of the individual, but the body could be that of a young woman.

“This was probably a ritual deposition of a human sacrifice.”

The body was discovered by an employee operating a milling machine on bogland situation between the towns of Portlaoise and Abbeyleix.

The Irish Times reports that the torso and head, which were in a leather bag, did not survive but the legs were not enclosed by the bag and were preserved by chemicals in the peat.

Work ceased in the area when the discovery was made and the National Museum of Ireland and police were contacted.

Kelly added: “We’ve had a number of other finds in this bog in the past, including bog butter and a pre-historic bronze axe, so the area is of known archaeological interest.”

RTE

reported that a Bord na Mona (peat harvesters) worker spotted the body just seconds before his machine was due to drive over the remains, probably destroying them. 

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33 Comments

15 - 33 | See all comments

tommymccarthy | Aug 16, 2011, 07:08 AM EDT
This was probably a ritual deposition of a human sacrifice 1 of you Yankee mouth pieces,let Ireland handle its own problems without people from the colonies trying to give advice,you are the people that sailed away so shut up

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Towngate | Aug 15, 2011, 05:12 AM EDT
Jacers: How far back does 'celtic' go? 3 - 5000 years is a long road. We can't know who or what this was or the circumstances of the death. ~ ~ ~ I like your idea of a modern-day sacrifice - but surely not poor Portia777 - but in case you hadn't noticed; the whole Irish Nation has already been sacrificed on the Altar of Mammon!

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alphonsus123 | Aug 14, 2011, 03:25 PM EDT
Or on the other hand it could be a male?

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jacersagain | Aug 13, 2011, 09:47 PM EDT
The apparent morbid death of this lady in the bog is inescapable. It was clearly part of the old Celtic way of life, the one that Portia777 wants us all to return to - the one where all Celtic druidic men in dresses decided which young beautiful woman (or hag of a mother-in-law) should be offered for sacrifice. Maybe we should, after all, follow Portia’s advice and return to those ancient Celtic days’ practices... what if I nominate Portia777 to be the first modern-day sacrifice to save us all from the horrible news and events that we all are suffering from? I wonder how she’d feel about fine Celtic warriors in short dresses, or perhaps solemn Druids in long dresses, cutting her in half with a deft sweep of a colg or claíomh. Ar dheis Dé go mbeidh anam an bhean tragóideach seo.

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themurphia | Aug 13, 2011, 02:48 PM EDT
sirpeter:I'll leave the Gardai/Police to dcide theat...you may be one or both...who knows...?

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Towngate | Aug 13, 2011, 02:21 PM EDT
FGreggMeagher: The 'Gallows Humour' tone of many of the comments here do not in any way show disrespect for any human life. Indeed, that is a part of human life itself,and should be celebrated as an emotional escape route from the horrible reality that this individual appears to have experienced. After such a long time, we are unlikely to ever establish the facts, so should remain unemotional and non-religious ( in the Christian sense, especially ~ as this predates the 'coming of christ'. Much more interesting is: who the remains 'belonged' to; how and why are they where they are. Was what we now like to call Ireland connected by a landbridge eastwards? What was 'Ireland' called then ~ when only a few small tribes had settled there...? Lets hope the boffins at The National Museum can provide some answers.

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FGreggMeagher | Aug 13, 2011, 12:49 PM EDT
Maybe my comment will be inappropriate here after reading the others. However, I value the 'Life', and respect the same, of whomever this individual was. Too bad that we will never know the facts concerning her life or her fate. In some way, due to the found remains, she is still an integral part of our reality and presence. I sincerely hope that she did not experience in a woken state her suffering, if in fact she was sacrificed. RIP.

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adrienrain | Aug 13, 2011, 10:22 AM EDT
Why human sacrifice? Maybe she just got lost on the way home from the pub.

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sirpeter | Aug 13, 2011, 05:55 AM EDT
@themurphia.So how long is your record of threats of violence towards you? I suspect the whole neighbourhood which won't be much help.

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GoogieLaRue | Aug 12, 2011, 11:59 PM EDT
The original Bogger no doubt.

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JerryLynch | Aug 12, 2011, 08:37 PM EDT
I was readin in a Bog Blog that she may have been a former friend of Whitey Bulgar. I'd also check her dental records to see if they matched Amelia Erhart's.If there were any $100 bills preserved with the body, it might be D. B. Cooper?

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peterson | Aug 12, 2011, 07:02 PM EDT
I bet she found obuma's real birth certificate !!

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seanomelbourne | Aug 12, 2011, 06:43 PM EDT
I suppose someone will blame the IRa, looks like a knee capping

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nosoupforU | Aug 12, 2011, 06:03 PM EDT
Sacrifice Cathil

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EphraimKibbey | Aug 12, 2011, 05:36 PM EDT
Sadly, she probably met her end that her people could trust their gods to supply them with an adaquate harvest or a victory over a neighboring tribe. Good thing we are not still that deluded. Now how do we fix the economy?

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