Julia

=Case Study - Ancient Human Remains =

- Assessment - Links - Oral Presentations -

Oral Presentation by Julia  = = =Clonycavan Man and Old Croghan Man = **    When, where, and how were the bodies found? **  Clonycavan man was found in Clonycavan, Country Meath, Ireland and Old Croghan in Croghan Hill hence the name they were given. Both bodies are male and were discovered in 2003 about 40km apart. Clonycavan was found first in February by a peat-cutting machine. Old Croghan was found 3 months later in May by workmen whom were clearing a drainage ditch through a peat bog.    **A description of the bodies as they are today: **
 * Clonycavan Man:**
 * crushed head flatten by peat
 * 3 blows to head
 * clear facial features (eyes, teeth, ears, mouth, stubble-top lip & beard on chin, squashed broken nose- can see pores)
 * hair with styled gel & fragments of hair tie
 * missing forearms, hands, lower abdomen (believed to be destroyed by peat machine)
 * tanned leathery skin (from chemical in bog)
 * hair ginger colour

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**<span style="color: rgb(255, 234, 0); font-size: 150%; background-color: rgb(83, 15, 138); text-align: center; display: block;">How did they die? **<span style="color: rgb(11, 213, 11); font-size: 120%; text-align: left; display: block;"> Both Clonycavan man and Old Croghan were severely tortured. Old Croghan nipples were sliced telling us that he had been tortured before his death. He was stabbed in the ribs and has a cut on his arm suggesting he was trying to defend himself. To restrain him, the attacker passed a withy through a hole in both arms. He suffered several blows to his neck and was decapitated and dismembered (lower body). Clonycavan suffered 3 blows from an axe to the head (skull shattered), as well as been struck in the chest and was dismembered below his hips. the flesh. <span style="color: rgb(255, 234, 0); background-color: rgb(83, 15, 138); font-size: 130%; text-align: center; display: block;"> The scientific methods that have been used are as following: Clonycavan man died around 392 - 201 B.C Old Croghan man died around 362 - 175 B.C
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Old Croghan man: **
 * upper torso & both arms and hands
 * left bicep-leather arm band
 * withy (hazel branches) pierced in arms
 * missing head, lower limbs (hips downward)
 * fingernails in good condition clear fingerprints
 * no clothing
 * tanned leathery skin (from chemical in the bog)
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 234, 0); font-size: 130%; background-color: rgb(83, 15, 138); text-align: center; display: block;">How the bodies were preserved: ** The bodies were preserved by the chemical composition in the bog.
 * Still water and dead plant layers stop oxygen from coming in therefore bacteria can't deteriorate
 * plant material contains tannins (chemical used to tan leather and make durable,) preserved organs & skin
 * Clonycavan found in peat bogs-acidic wetlands, fast rate plant life later rot to form peat
 * Sphagnum moss extracts calcium from the bones- micro-organisms less to feed but lack of calcium means floppy bones or causes then to disappear. In these 2 bodies the bones disappeared.
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 234, 0); background-color: rgb(83, 15, 138); font-size: 130%;">What are the scientific methods that have been used to study the bodies and what have we learnt about them from the past? **
 * radio carbon dating- shows they came from the Iron Age
 * palaeodietary analysis for both bodies (its a Greek word!)
 * CT and MRI scans- equipment used to take image's from inside the body of organs, soft tissue, muscle
 * Old Croghan man-through fingernails (Nitrogen levels) shows diet high in protein, meat main source, therefore died most likely in winter or the beginning of spring (lack of fruit and vegetables)
 * Stomach content revealed last meal was wheat and buttermilk
 * Old Croghan man- analysis of hands, fingerprints and fingernails revealed he was thrown in bog quickly, little to no labour work therefore had a high status, his diet consisted of meat, wheat, milk and milk products therefore died most likely in winter, colder season (lack of fruit and vegetables)
 * Old Croghan man- measure of arm span showed height of 1.92cm (making him the tallest bog body)




 * Clonycavan man- through hair shows diet rich in vegetables when close to death suggest summer death
 * The CT scan, digital technology helped reconstruct Clonycavan's facial features through soft tissue information since he had no skeleton. Using digital software scientists were able to "re-inflate skin" which shows the shape of the face, then skin tone was added as well as glass eyes and hair.
 * A lot of bog bodies found in Ireland had red hair. Normally hair will maintain its colour in dark dry areas but due to the high acidity levels in the peat bog the brown and black pigment in the hair are targeted while leaving the red pigment in the hair which over a long period changes the hair colour to red.
 * Clonycavan man- hair gel analysis made of vegetable oil and resin from pine tree that only grew in France and Spain- shows important and wealthy enough to import beauty products, fashion conscious (style of hair high in bun on the top of his head suggests he wanted to give the illusion he was taller)
 * He was no taller than 1.6cm

They both died in their early 20s. Their stomach content shows they were both fed well again suggesting they were upper class which meant they had very little no no manual labour. They suffered brutal murders. Old Croghan man was tall, most likely death in winter (diet), most likely not willing to die since he was tied down and the position of the cut on his arm was likely to be from a defence position he held and was buried quickly. Clonycavan was short, most likely death in summer (diet), hair style shows that he wanted to give the illusion of height, hair gel from foreign countries suggests wealth.

<span style="color: rgb(11, 213, 11); text-align: left; display: block; font-size: 120%;"> **<span style="color: rgb(11, 213, 11); text-align: left; display: block; font-size: 120%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 234, 0); background-color: rgb(83, 15, 138); font-size: 130%; text-align: center; display: block;">The main theory behind their death: **Many archaeologists believe that these people died because of ritual sacrifice since their bodies had been buried in tribal boundaries and the torture they went through. It is thought that these rituals were performed to please the goddess of fertility to ensure a great year of corn and milk as well as keep the tribe safe. Both these figures seemed to have been high status people. They may have been chosen because they were the most feared, powerful, loathed, or loved in honour of the gods.

<span style="color: rgb(11, 213, 11); text-align: left; display: block; font-size: 120%;">

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> **<span style="color: rgb(11, 213, 11); font-size: 130%; background-color: rgb(250, 255, 102); text-align: center; display: block;">Bibliography: ** <span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Barrow, Karen, 2006, Bog body, 7/03/09 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bog+body-a0143163346 This website has limited information about the bog bodies themselves but is good in the sense that it talks about the conditions of the bog. I wouldn't say that it was the most reliable website since the organisation 'the free library by farlex' isn't well known.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">BBC News, 2006, Iron Age 'bog bodies' unveiled, 7/03/09 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4589638.stm This website is a reliable source since it is a news program that is internationally well known. This website talks about how the bog preserved the bodies, the torture they went through before they were killed and suggested reasons as to why they were killed. <span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">BBC New, 2006, Iron Age 'David Beckham' unmasked, 6/03/09 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4629888.stm This is a reliable source since it is an article created by a news program that is internationally well known. This website tells us a little bit about how the bodies were found, the reconstruction of Clonycavan man, and mentions how brutal the murders were.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Chris Spurr, 2008, Bog man, 09/03/09 http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2272392.htm This was a reliable website since it is run by ABC Television, another well known news program. This is in the form of a transcript. It was useful since it had a lot of information including question answer format which answered a lot of my questions. It talks mostly about the Celtic pagan religion and the sacrifices they made to their gods.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Clare Raymond, 2006, Murdered 2,500 years ago, 6/03/09 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/tm_objectid=16556771&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=murdered-2-500-years-ago-name_page.html This website was a reliable source since almost all the information on it is on many other websites. It has information about the analysis on the bog bodies, their torture and suggests a reason behind their death (Ned Kelly's theory, like many other websites).

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Cobblestone Publishing Magazine, ** How does a bog preserve the bodies and object? What preserves best in bogs, and why?, 09/03/09 ** http://www.digonsite.com/drdig/mummy/41.html I found this useful since it explains the conditions of a bog and how the chemical composition affects the body. It is very easy to understand since it is aimed at children to get them interested in history. This website is organised by a kid's magazine company. 'Dr. Dig' answers questions that people have posted.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Georgia, 2006, the Tragic Tale of Clonycavan Man and Oldcroghan Man, 9/03/09 http://www.greatnewsnetwork.org/index.php/news/article/the_tragic_tale_of_clonycavan_man_and_oldcroghan_man/ This website is very limited. It contains a small section of an article that cannot be accessed anymore. It doesn't seem like a reliable source since the person that posted it has informally written his/her first name therefore seems like it could have been written by anyone that had an account on this website. Also the fact that the article doesn't exist anymore is another reason as to why it seems unreliable. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);"> Isabella Mulhall, 2006, 'These were horrific torture techniques', 7/03/09 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4632296.stm __This website is a reliable source since it is run by a well known international news program. All the articles written on the website are edited and all the information is checked for any inaccuracies. This article was very useful in describing the process that took place once the bodies were discovered and the methods used to study them. This includes radiocarbon dating, CT and MRI scans, and palaeodietary analysis. Conservation methods have also been mentioned in this article. Once the bodies had been totally analysed they were then layered with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to be freeze-dried. All samples from the bodies were taken before this PEG was applied since this would contaminate the bodies. The PEG helped to preserve the body by preventing it to shrink. This article also tells the readers what traumas the men suffered before their deaths and suggests reasons as to why they were murdered.__ <span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);"> James.M.Deen, 2009, Clonycavan Man, 6/03/09 http://www.mummytombs.com/bog/clonycavan.htm This website contains a brief overview on Clonycavan man. It talks about his hair, when and how he was found, and how he died. It seems like a fairly reliable source. This website is primarily for the use of children therefore is very easy to understand.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">John Hayes Fisher, 2006, meeting the bog bodies, 6/03/09 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/timewatch/diary_bog_02.shtml __This website is a reliable source since 'Timewatch' is run by the BBC program, a television program that is well known internationally. It consists of ten chapters, each no more than a page with interesting photographs. It is written by the 'Timewatch' producer. He writes 'A bog body find is an archaeological sensation, but 'Timewatch' quickly secured exclusive access, preventing the news from leaking out to the wider world.' This article talks about the discovery of the bodies, the national museum of Ireland where the bodies are currently homed, the BBC program that the organisation had been organising, briefly mentions the examination of the body, the preservation methods of Old Croghan man, and very little on Clonycavan man. I didn't like how the article contained more information about the episode that it was going to run on the bodies rather than more information on the bog bodies' themselves. Overall it is a useful website.__

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">//Karen E. Lange, 2007, Tales from the Bog, 6/03/09// http://teamsugar.com/group/243838/blog/591366 This was a reliable website since the author of this article writes in the 'National Geographic' magazines, a well known magazine that contains many feature articles on a various interesting topics. In this article she writes about numerous bog bodies and how their remains have been studied.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Photograph of Old Croghan man’s hand, 09/03/09 http://www.sciencespin.com/imglibrary/2007/01/200701031534271_sm.gif A clear photograph of Old Croghan man's hands. Used above in this wiki.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Transcript, 2006, the perfect corpse, 6/03/09 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3304_bog.html This was a very useful source of information. It contained a lot of knowledge about all the questions that have been asked in the task as well as many other interesting facts. It is reliable since NOVA is a scientific program that originated in America but is now aired in over 100 countries.

<span style="color: rgb(141, 0, 255);">Robert Clark, 2007, Tales from the Bog, 6/03/09 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/09/bog-bodies/clark-photography Contains great photographs of the bog bodies.