Meeting the Bog Bodies

Page 6 of 10

• 1. Discovering the bog bodies
• 2. National Museum of Ireland
• 3. Examining the bodies
• 4. Dramatising the past
• 5. Filming the reconstruction
• 6. The bodies in context
• 7. Unlocking secrets of the Iron Age
• 8. Preserving Oldcroghan Man
• 9. Clonycavan Man
• 10. Find out more
• Print entire article

The bodies in context

The team at the museum have been so wrapped up with the scientific investigations that no-one has had time to look at the cultural context in which these Iron Age bodies might have lived and ultimately died.

Ned Kelly, keeper of Irish antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland, agrees that he will try and do this for our documentary.

'He now believes the Irish bodies are...human sacrifices...part of a 'kingship ritual''

Before long, an email comes back 'I'm pretty excited,' says Ned. Searching through old records at the museum, he has come across more than 30 instances of bog bodies or remains of bodies in Ireland being found on borders or boundaries.

He now believes the Irish bodies are not, as others have suggested, executions for crimes against their communities, but human sacrifices as a part of a 'kingship ritual'.

NextPrevious

Published: 2006-01-12