| Grauballe Man Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Grauballe Man |
| Age | 35 years old |
| Sex | Male |
| Status | Human Sacrifice |
| Height | 1.65-1.70m |
| Source | |
| Culture | Germanic |
| Date(s) | Around 390 B.C. |
| Site | Nebel bog, Grauballe in Jutland, Denmark |
| Current Location | |
| Location | The Moesgaard Museum near Aarhus, Denmark |
| Catalog # | |
The Grauballe Man is a bog body that was found on 26 April 1952 in a peat bog near Grauballe, Jutland, Denmark. It is believed that this man was a human sacrifice, His throat was slit, and his body was placed in the bog at around the age of 34–35.
Mummification[]
The body was naturally mummified and extremely well preserved in the peat bog. In fact, it has been described as one of the most incredible discoveries of Denmark's prehistory because it was so well preserved. The facial expression on the Grauballe Man's face is still evident, and his hair is still intact.
Studies[]
A post-mortem was conducted on the body, and then later on many other studies, including radiological study, CT scanning, 3D visualization, stereolithography and analyses of the gut contents.
Studies have concluded that he was not a man who worked a laborious job due to the smoothness of his hands. He also evidenced signs of starvation and malnutrition dating back to his childhood, his bones and spine also showed signs of a calcium deficiency and early stages of spindylosis, the degeneration of the lumbar regions of the spine and discs.
He is thought to be one of the better preserved of the bog bodies, his hair and well preserved hands and feet were an aid in research. His fingers had been so perfectly preserved that researchers were able to take his fingerprints. His liver was also almost preserved allowing researchers to identify his age and time of life.
An examination of the body revealed it was over 2,000 years old. The Grauballe Man was around 34-35 years old when he died, and stood more than five-and-a-half feet tall.
Researchers found that Grauballe Man had a broken shin bone and a slit throat. The Moesgaard Museum speculates that if he were indeed a sacrifice, a priest could have broken his leg with a club, forcing him onto his knees, then perhaps yanked his head back, and sliced his throat.
Additional[]
In the Moesgaard Museum where Grauballe man is currently housed, you can have the opportunity to stand face-to-face with the most well-preserved bog body in the history of Denmark. He is in a small, dark room where he can be seen from all sides.
A professor of forensic medicine at Aarhus University examined the body at the time of his discovery reported "...the bones have been subjected to a decalcification process which has left them soft and capable of being bent and flattened, as has happened, for example with the bones of the head. On the front of the neck was found a large wound stretching from ear to ear. It lies high up the throat, and the edges are moderately smooth...."
References[]
Wikipedia,. (2015). Grauballe Man. Retrieved 24 September 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grauballe_Man#Discovery.2C_preservation_and_exhibition
Human Remains from the Dawn of History ~Bog Bodies~,. (2015). Grauballe man. Retrieved 24 September 2015, from http://humanremainsfromthhdawnofhistory.weebly.com/grauballe-man.html
VisitDenmark,. (2015). PLAN YOUR TRIP. Retrieved 24 September 2015, from http://www.visitdenmark.co.uk/en-gb/denmark/the-grauballe-man-gdk943056
Asingh, P. Lynnerup, N. (2007). Grauballe man: An Iron Age bog body revisited. Aarhus: Aarhus University press. Nematode. (2017). Grauballe man a mummified bog body. Retrieved on November 20, 2017
Moesgaard Museum website about Grauballe Man in danish: https://www.moesgaardmuseum.dk/aktuelle-udstillinger/jernalder/grauballemanden Retrieved on October 19, 2025