Journal of Archaeological Science xxx (xxxx) xxx Please cite this article as: Bjarne Henning Nielsen, Journal of Archaeological Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2020.105166 0305-4403/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. New insights from forgotten bog bodies: The potential of bog skeletons for investigating the phenomenon of deposition of human remains in bogs during prehistory Bjarne Henning Nielsen a , Tina Christensen b, * , Karin Margarita Frei c a Vesthimmerland Museum, Soendergade 44, DK-9600, Aars, Denmark b AntroBoneConsult, Tietgensgade 64, DK-1704, Copenhagen V, Denmark c National Museum of Denmark, Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, I.C.Modewegsvej, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Bog skeletons Neolithic Bronze age Iron age Peri-mortem violence Strontium isotopes Denmark ABSTRACT Since the 18 th century, the peat bogs of Northern Europe have yielded the remains of hundreds of people dating from as far back as c. 8.000 BC. While the individuals with preserved soft tissue have been subjected to numerous and comprehensive studies, the less famous bog skeletons have received much less attention, even though the distinction is essentially attributable solely to differences in preservation conditions. The objective of this study is to fll this gap by providing valuable information on ten bog skeletons from the small region of Vesthimmerland in northwest Denmark. The large majority (nine out of ten) of these fnds are previously unpublished. We.apply a cross-disciplinary approach consisting of osteological and paleopathological investigations combined with radiocarbon and strontium isotope analyses. Our radiocarbon results show that two of the ten bog skeletons (two adult females) date to the Nordic Neolithic Age, one 8-year old child dates to the Nordic Bronze Age, while the majority are from the Pre-Roman Iron Age and Roman Iron Age (one child, four adult females and two adult males). Anthropological examination suggested no evidence of peri-mortem violence, but the fnding of gross pathologies in two individuals could hint at deliberate deposition in the bog. Nine individuals yielded strontium isotopic values suggesting a local origin, whereas a female dating to the Pre- Roman Iron Age yielded highly radiogenic signatures suggesting a non-local origin. These results represent the frst cross-disciplinary study of numerous bog skeletons adding much needed information to a neglected group of individuals, shedding new light on the different theories for the deposition of human remains in bogs in prehistoric times. 1. Introduction The remains of hundreds of men, women, and children, have been discovered in fens and peat bogs throughout Northwestern Europe, specifcally Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, north-west Germany and Denmark, mainly during peat harvesting activities (van der Sanden, 1996; Giles, 2009). They range in date from the Mesolithic period to the present day (Fischer, 1998; Giles, 2009; Mulhall, 2010; Hansen et al., 2017). They have been termed ‘bog bodies’ (Glob, 1965) and constitute indisputably the most intriguing wetland fnds within bio-archaeology. The individual bog bodies show a great degree of variation in their state of preservation, from skeletons to well-preserved naturally mummifed bodies (van der Sanden, 1996). The variation in preserva- tion depends on the chemical conditions of the interment environment. In nutrient-rich, calcareous low-level bogs, which receive water through both ground water and precipitation, the environment allows bacteria to break down soft tissues like hair, wool, skin and leather. In these low-level bogs, only skeletal remains are preserved. In contrast, raised bogs or high bogs receive their water supply exclusively from precipi- tation, which creates a nutrient-poor environment where only few plants, such as bog moss (Sphagnum) can survive (van der Sanden, 1996; Fischer, 2007; Ravn, 2011). Sphagnum produces a long molecule, polysaccharide, termed sphagnan, which promotes the tanning process of the skin and binds calcium and nitrogen. This results in calcium being drawn out of the bones, causing the bones to become rubber-like. On the other hand, the environment in high bogs can preserve a body’s skin, hair, nails, and internal organs as well as clothing made of wool, skin and leather (van der Sanden, 1996). * Corresponding author. E-mail address: info@antroboneconsult.dk (T. Christensen). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jas https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2020.105166 Received 2 December 2019; Received in revised form 18 May 2020; Accepted 19 May 2020