Ancient body found in Denmark bog belonged to foreigner who was sacrificed, study says

In 1915, a mysterious ancient skeleton dubbed the “Vittrup Man” was found preserved in a peat bog in northwest Denmark. Now, over a century later, researchers have finally pieced together the peculiar circumstances of his life — and his brutal death.

The remains, which include an ankle bone, shin bone and partial skull, were recently subjected to an in-depth genetic analysis, according to a study published on Feb. 14 in the journal PLOS One.

Through this analysis, researchers determined the man likely was short in stature, dark in complexion and blue-eyed.

He was in his early 30s when he died sometime between 3100 and 3300 B.C.

Though short, his life was filled with long-distance travel and occupational adaptation, researchers said.

He was born somewhere in modern-day Sweden or Norway, possibly even as far north as the Arctic Circle.

While growing up in the far reaches of northern Europe, he appears to have survived as a fisherman and hunter-gatherer, living off of marine life, including seals and whales, researchers said.

But, before he reached his late teens, he switched to a farming lifestyle, perhaps among the Funnel Beaker society that inhabited northern Denmark.

At the time, this society was “well established” and marked by economic excess and “cultural bloom,” researchers said.

The journey to reach the Funnel Beaker people in Denmark would have entailed at least a 60-mile sea crossing.

“A safe voyage across these waters would require a genuinely seaworthy vessel and clever seamanship,” researchers said.

Whether this journey was undertaken willingly or through force is not clear.

It’s possible he was a flint merchant, ferrying goods to the south. Or, he may have been taken prisoner in modern-day Denmark, serving as a free source of labor, researchers said.

What is clear is that he did not last long in these foreign lands.

After a few years living among the agrarian Funnel Beaker society, he was brutally murdered. A weapon — perhaps a wooden club found near his remains — was used to inflict at least eight blows to his head, shattering his skull, researchers said.

Much of his body, including his limbs and torso, likely decomposed in the bog over time, though it’s possible they were deposited into the bog in parts.

His death almost certainly came as the result of human sacrifice, then a common practice in the bogs of Denmark, researchers said.

Human sacrifice — a “dubious honor” — was a ritual often inflicted on foreigners, even those who attained high social status.

These findings finally demystify much of the life of the Vittrup Man, who has intrigued archaeologists for decades.

This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Ancient body found in Denmark bog belonged to foreigner who was sacrificed, study says."