PRESERVED IN A BOG FOR 2000 YEARS

During my visit to the British Museum in London, I saw something extraordinary: a mummy formed in a bog. Yes, it’s possible, because of the slow decomposition rate in this particular natural environment!

Lindow Man

Without bandages or ceremonial care, a mummy was formed in a bog, simply through the natural processes that occur there. Called “Lindow Man”, the mummy was found by chance in 1984 during commercial peat extraction in the Lindow Moss bog in Cheshire, England [1][2]. In the museum, you can see the upper body of this man in his twenties who lived during the Iron Age, about 2,000 years ago [3]. His skin and hair are well preserved, and he doesn’t look his age! What’s more, Lindow Man is not alone. Hundreds of mummies have been found in bogs across northern Europe [4][5], why?

Image from T2 Environnement

Degradation in bogs

The bog, where the mummy was found, is a wetland. It is populated by sphagnum moss. These small plants have a high water retention capacity, sometimes reaching up to 700-1000% of their weight in water [6][7][8]. So, the bog acts like a sponge saturated with water. This stagnant water creates an environment that has very low oxygen. Bogs are also acidic and geographically located further north, where it is cold. These three elements make them less hospitable to the microorganisms that normally degrade dead organisms. As a result, dead sphagnum moss accumulates and accumulates without being completely degraded, over thousands of years [7][8].

This environment also allows the preservation of other dead organisms, such as the Lindow Man. Due to the slow rate of decomposition, but also to the sphagnum moss in itself. When it dies, sphagnum moss releases molecules that are important for tissues preservation. These molecules transform skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments into leather [9][10]. Although these discoveries were made in Europe, other regions of the world possess bogs, such as North America.

Image from T2 Environnement

North America’s peatlands

North America is home to 32% of the world’s peatlands [11]. Within our territory, they are mainly located in northern Canada, specifically in the boreal forest [11]. Peatlands also play an important role in climate regulation by storing large amounts of CO2 [12]. They are populated by vegetation adapted to high water content and low nutrient levels. This is why carnivorous plants are sometimes found there. These plants obtain their nutrients from the insects they eat, since there are not enough in the soil to grow. Peatlands are full of surprises! Unfortunately, many are degraded.

Image from T2 Environnement

The wetland complex where the Lindow Moss is located is being restored [1][2]. After years of peat extraction (for mushroom cultivation and horticulture), the bog has been degraded. Bogs should not only be valued for the commercialization of peat or because they contain archaeological discoveries. No, a bog has even greater intrinsic value when it is healthy. To convince you, here are a few of Quebec’s bogs that are accessible:

Sherbrooke: Johnville Bog

Montérégie: Saint-Bruno’s peatland; Venise en Quebec’s peatland

Quebec City and Levis: Jacques-Cartier’s peatland; Grande plée Bleue’ peatland

Lower St. Lawrence: Bic’s National Park’s Bog

There are several types of bogs. If you want to identify them, you can refer to the Canadian Wetland Classification System.

[1] Discover Lindow. (2024). Habitat and history – Lindow Man. [website]. https://www.discoverlindow.org/

[2] Groundwork UK. (s.d.). Lindow Moss. [website]. https://www.groundwork.org.uk/clm/lindow-moss/

[3] The British Museum. (s.d.). bog body; arm-band; garotte. [website]. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1984-1002-1?selectedImageId=426018001

[4] van der Plicht, J and al. (2004). Dating bog bodies by means of 14C-AMS. Journal of Archaeological Science, 31(4), p 471–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2003.09.012

[5] Mystic Britain : Mummies. (2019). The Stunningly Clear Features on the Lindow Man Mummy (with the acheologist Eamonn Kelly). Smitsoniam Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGV402Z1KNY

[6] Boelter, D. H. (1964). Water Storage Characteristics of Several Peats in situ. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 28(3), 433–435. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800030039x

[7] Rydin, H. and  Jeglum, J. K.(2013). The biology of peatland 2 edition. [numeric book].Oxford, UK : Oxford University Press Oxford, 2013.

[8] Rochefort, L et Payette, S. (2001). Ecologie des tourbieres du Québec-Labrador. Université Laval’s press. http://www.myilibrary.com?id=697283

[9] van der Plicht, J. and al. (2004). Dating bog bodies by means of 14C-AMS. Journal of Archaeological Science, 31(4), 471–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2003.09.012

[10] Stankiewicz, B. A. and al. (1997). Assessment of bog-body tissue preservation by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM, 11(17), 1884–1890.

[11] UNEP (2022). Global Peatlands Assessment – The State of the World’s Peatlands: Evidence for action toward the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of peatlands. Main Report. Global Peatlands Initiative. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi. https://www.unep.org/resources/global-peatlands-assessment-2022

[12] Roulet, N. (2000). Peatlands, carbon storage, greenhouse gases, and the Kyoto Protocol : prospects and significance for Canada. Wetlands, 20 :605-615.https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2000)020[0605:PCSGGA]2.0.CO;2