| Worsley Man Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Worsley Man |
| Age | 20-30 |
| Sex | M |
| Status | |
| Height | |
| Source | |
| Culture | Possibly Romano-British Celt |
| Date(s) | Around AD 120 |
| Site | Salford peat bog |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Manchester Museum, Oxford Road |
| Catalog # | |
Worsley Man was found in August of 1958, by men digging peat in an area near Worsley. Only as a mummified head was discovered. Worsley Man is thought to have lived around AD 100 when Romans occupied much of Britain.
Mummification[]
The head was discovered in a Salford peat bog, a place where natural mummification can occur. The mummification occurs when the chemistry in the bog meets the right conditions. They must have acidic, oxygen-poor conditions, which are made up in layers of dead moss. CT scans put a date of 1,900 years on the remains.
Pathology[]
It was believed that the Worsley man's death could have been part of a ritual. After a thorough inspection in 1987, the mummified head and neck revealed many traumas. There was a wound behind the right ear, a fracture on the top of the skull from a massive blow from an edged weapon, and a cut through the vertebrae displaying that the man had been beheaded. CAT scan tests revealed damage to the remains of his neck, almost certainly caused by a ligature.
He was identified as being lightly built and around 30 years old.
3D scans show a pointed object hidden deep within Worsley Man’s neck. This object appears to be a spear tip that snapped off when thrust into him. Forensic analysis has revealed that he was also bashed over the head with a heavy blade, garrotted, and decapitated.
Additional[]
Interpretations of this rite vary from judicial punishment to scape-goating or ritual sacrifice (Aldhouse Green 2001).
References[]
Chat Moss. (n.d) Retrieved January 14, 2016 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chat_Moss
Cox, C. (May 16, 2014). Groundbreaking scan reveals evidence of ritual human sacrifice... in Salford. Retrieved from http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/university-manchester-worsley-man-scan-7131145
Dell'Amore, C. (July 18, 2014). Who Were the Ancient Bog Mummies? Surprising New Clues. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140718-bog-bodies-denmark-archaeology-science-iron-age/