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proximity to known kingship inaugural sites, usually in a lower valley area under the hillside of where the kings took on their position. The bodies of sacrificed kings were often placed in pools near the boundaries of their territories. The only well-understood indicator for these specific sacrifice traditions is the proximity of bodies to other significant events/areas, making this theory difficult to prove or disprove.
131:
oxygen content is inhospitable to the bacteria and organisms that cause decomposition; this naturally tans (via the same process used in leathermaking) the skin of any human or animal that is buried within it. This leads to organic materials being well preserved for thousands of years and is how Cashel Man can have perfectly intact skin and hair.
125:
The body is one of the oldest preserved bog bodies in the world and is also the oldest known preserved body with the flesh still intact. Peat bogs can be one of the best natural forms of preservation of all organic materials, including human bodies and items. The process that protects the contents
130:
function of the lower levels of peat bogs. Anaerobic means the composition is lacking in free oxygen; this combined with the naturally high acid levels from the slowly decomposed plant material is a perfect natural solution for preservation. The slightly higher acid concentration along with a low
73:
Cashel Man had once lived in what was a flourishing community. The legs were found to be protruding from the skin of the corpse, in addition to being exceptionally well preserved. The remaining part of the body inside of the bag-like skin was not as well preserved. The stomach of the man had long
116:
One of the largest indicators of the possibility of the Cashel Man having been the victim of a sacrifice is the known history of nobility sacrifices. When a king within
Ireland had particularly troublesome issues with things like a bad harvest, drought or sickness they were the ones within the
107:
It is a commonly stated theory that the death of Cashel Man was related to a ritualistic killing tied to a kingship or territorial expansion designation. While there is no outright evidence of this, there are a few key indicators of this possibility. A common finding among bog bodies is their
86:
The man had a pre-mortem broken arm, caused by a strike with a sharp object. It could have also been a slightly blunter object, like a primitive axe. His back was broken in two places (believed to have happened after his death), and there was a cut on his back, possibly inflicted by the peat
42:. The body was a young adult male, around 20–25, who had been intentionally covered with peat after death. The crouched figure was recovered after being damaged by a milling machine in 2011. The head and left arm were presumed destroyed by the peat harvester until later recovered.
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since decomposed, which made analyzing his last meal impossible. The body parts that had been disturbed by the milling machine were later recovered, including part of the head, which had closely cut hair. The body was later moved to the
91:. The wound on the man's arm may have been a defensive wound. The man may have once been the king of his region, and was sacrificed due to poor harvests, as a king was believed to have been responsible for such things. Like
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community who were held responsible. When a king would be found to be at fault for enough hardships of their people they would be ritualistically killed in the process of the inauguration ceremony of the new King.
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61:, oriented north-to-south with his head pointing south. There was not much other information available because the head, neck and left arm were all removed from the body by the
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harvester. Mandible, teeth, ribs, clavicle, vertebra, skin and hair were all recovered within the milled peat from the harvester.
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for examination. The man was believed to have been buried with his arms holding his legs, his knees bent toward his chest.
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Hart, Edward, dir. "Ghosts of
Murdered Kings." NOVA. Prod. Edward Hart and Dan McCabe. PBS. 29 Jan. 2014. Television.
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Cashel Man was found lying on his right side with his legs tightly flexed. The body was in the middle of the
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Kelly, Eamonn (2011). "New Find
Supports Kingship and Sovereignty Theory: Bog Body from Cashel Bog".
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338:"Human Sacrifices of Ireland: Uncovering the secrets of Cashel Man"
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Kelly, Eamonn (2012). "The bog body from Cashel Bog, Co. Laois".
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harvester. The body was accompanied by wooden stakes, suggesting
149:"Kingship and Sacrifice Exhibition National Museum of Ireland"
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504:
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Radiocarbon dating places the man as having died around 2000
395:"Peat Bogs Are Freakishly Good at Preserving Human Remains"
62:
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27:
200:"Current Archaeology – News: Human sacrifice in Ireland"
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49:, making him one of the oldest bog bodies in Europe.
471:(2012). "The bog body from Cashel Bog, Co. Laois".
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34:, Ireland. He was found on 10 August 2011 by
369:"Laois 'bog body' said to be world's oldest"
285:"Laois 'bog body' said to be world's oldest"
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421:"Oldest 'Bog Body' Found with Skin Intact"
241:"Cashel Man - Ireland's Oldest Bog Body"
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312:"Bronze Age Ireland: Before the Celts"
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112:Nobility sacrifice ritual in Ireland
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310:Design, Claddagh (22 August 2014).
202:. Archaeology.co.uk. 4 October 2011
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126:from decomposition is caused by an
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348:from the original on 24 April 2012
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419:Poppick, Laura (19 August 2013).
393:Mancini, Mark (23 January 2019).
938:2011 archaeological discoveries
885:Wetland deposits in Scandinavia
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839:Windover archaeological site
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948:Celtic archaeological sites
38:employee Jason Phelan from
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473:Ossory, Laois and Leinster
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245:National Museum of Ireland
223:Ossory, Laois and Leinster
153:National Museum of Ireland
76:National Museum of Ireland
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103:Possibility of sacrifice
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602:Girl of the Uchter Moor
336:Matt (4 October 2011).
814:Wittmoor bog trackway
53:Position at discovery
16:Bog body from Ireland
802:Archaeological sites
545:(approx. deathdates)
890:Gundestrup cauldron
486:Archaeology Ireland
443:National Geographic
870:List of bog bodies
844:Little Salt Spring
772:Amcotts Moor Woman
445:. 4 September 2013
925:
924:
267:"Oldest Bog Body"
265:Lobell, Jarrett.
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917:Ritual sacrifice
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662:Old Croghan Man
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399:How Stuff Works
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289:The Irish Times
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30:near Cashel in
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901:The Bog People
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819:Thorsberg moor
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749:
739:
738:160 BC–340 AD)
729:
728:160 BC–220 AD)
719:
718:200 BC–119 AD)
709:
708:200 BC–119 AD)
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652:Clonycavan Man
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97:Clonycavan Man
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895:Ralaghan Idol
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789:
788:Gunnister Man
786:
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770:
763:
760:
758:41 BC–118 AD)
753:
750:
748:54 BC–128 AD)
743:
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723:
722:Weerdinge Men
720:
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692:Grauballe Man
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682:Damendorf Man
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632:Kayhausen Boy
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583:
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578:3320–3220 BC)
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568:3920–3650 BC)
563:
560:
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552:Koelbjerg Man
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899:
875:List of bogs
809:Cladh Hallan
784:(14th c. AD)
782:Bocksten Man
712:Lindow Woman
672:Elling Woman
581:
562:Luttra Woman
489:
485:
476:
472:
447:. Retrieved
442:
439:"Bog Bodies"
433:
425:Live Science
424:
414:
402:. Retrieved
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376:. Retrieved
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350:. Retrieved
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295:13 September
293:. Retrieved
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121:Preservation
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36:Bord na Móna
32:County Laois
19:
18:
849:Lindow Moss
794:18th c. AD)
778:200–400 AD)
762:Osterby Man
678:350–150 BC)
668:362–175 BC)
658:392–201 BC)
642:Tollund Man
638:400–300 BC)
628:470–120 BC)
622:Gallagh Man
608:764–515 BC)
373:Irish Times
321:29 November
271:Archaeology
69:Examination
943:Bog bodies
932:Categories
907:Peter Glob
880:Bog butter
824:Nydam Mose
768:70–220 AD)
702:Lindow Man
698:3rd c. BC)
648:4th c. BC)
582:Cashel Man
543:Bog bodies
536:Bog bodies
492:(3): 4–6.
449:5 November
404:5 November
378:1 December
352:1 December
250:1 December
206:1 February
135:References
20:Cashel Man
854:Chat Moss
834:Falbygden
752:Windeby I
498:0790-892X
342:YourIrish
128:anaerobic
40:Abbeyleix
863:See also
742:Yde Girl
588:2000 BC)
558:8000 BC)
346:Archived
24:bog body
688:300 BC)
618:490 BC)
598:770 BC)
462:Sources
26:from a
496:
912:Mummy
82:Death
22:is a
494:ISSN
451:2020
406:2020
380:2020
354:2020
323:2020
297:2015
252:2020
208:2014
95:and
63:peat
59:bog
28:bog
934::
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