The awakening of Clonycavan Man
In 2006, a peat cutting machine had collected an object while travelling along the peat fields Clonycavan near Dublin, Ireland. The object had turned out to be the body of an inhabitant of prehistory, later identified as Clonycavan Man. Archaeological Development Services had carefully removed the body from the machine and was then analysed by scientists at the National Museum of Ireland. Clonycavan Man stool 5 foot 2 inches tall and was reported as very young and healthy who did not participate in any physical labour, which could possibly indicate his social status. He had a swooping hairdo, which had been held up with a some sort of gel, made by plant oil only found in France, which could be an indication of trade, which makes this discovery so interesting. Clonycavan Man’s skull had been split from behind and had various other wounds throughout his upper body, indicating his death as relatively violent however, we still question the death of this magnificent find.
Scientific Dating techniques used on Clonycavan Man
The main dating technique used to determine the age of Clonycavan Man was Radiocarbon Dating or C-14. Radiocarbon dating revealed that Clonycavan Man was apart of the Iron Age and had died over 2000 years ago (c. 300 BC). Further examination of his intestinal contents revealed that his last meal consisted of a variety of vegetables. Therefore, the general consensus is that Clonycavan Man had died over 2000 years ago, during the Summer.
How and why did Clonycavan Man die?
Clonycavan man was also victim of an extremely gruesome and horrendous death and a subject to a barbarous sacrifice. Evidence strongly suggests that he was a murder victim, due to the several trauma wounds inflicted on his skull created by a heavy axe and the same on his chest. His cheekbone had been slashed and there is evidence of disembowelment (removal of intestines) throughout the body. He too was subject to a very violent death but at what cause? There are many suggestions and opinions to why Clonycavan man died all because of his striking hairdo and that he was buried on territorial boundaries. Clonycavan man could possibly have been a social derelict of the community who was discriminated against because of his social abnormality, an accused criminal, a Sharman but most likely, a sacrificial victim. Clonycavan man suffered a defensive wound on his upper left arm which could suggest a murder attack or even During the time of the Iron Age in Ireland, many slaves were sacrificed and place on the outskirts of the community as an offering to territorial gods to keep the community safe, which evidently is most likely the case of Clonycavan man’s death.
Facial reconstructions and artistic representations of Clonycavan Man
Ancient source: Tacitus. Was Clonycavan Man a sacrifice?
“At fixed seasons all tribes of the same name and blood gather through their delegations at a certain forest… and after their publicly offering up a human life, they celebrate the grim ‘initiation’ of their barbarous worship. There is a further tribute which they pay to the grove: no one enters until he has been bound with a cord” – Tacitus, Germania, 39, 1-2
The same contemporary source used for Lindow Man also relates to the death of Clonycavan Man as it emphasizes the barbarous worship of the individual at the same time. Clonycavan man was brutally killed even though we still don’t know exactly why, scientific evidence allows us to draw comparisons between other bog bodies found within the time and compare there injuries and draw opinions to how they died. Tacitus’ account supports the sacrifice theory and evidently applies contextual reference to Clonycavan man’s injuries and eventual death.
The same contemporary source used for Lindow Man also relates to the death of Clonycavan Man as it emphasizes the barbarous worship of the individual at the same time. Clonycavan man was brutally killed even though we still don’t know exactly why, scientific evidence allows us to draw comparisons between other bog bodies found within the time and compare there injuries and draw opinions to how they died. Tacitus’ account supports the sacrifice theory and evidently applies contextual reference to Clonycavan man’s injuries and eventual death.
Scientific experts on Clonycavan Man
a) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0117_060117_irish_bogmen_2.html
National Geographic’s article ‘Murdered "Bog Men" Found With Hair Gel, Manicured Nails’ is based on the scientific evidence drawn from the investigation of Clonycavan Man’s ‘wicked’ hairdo and the violent nature of his death. Author James Owen writes about Clonycavan Man’s distressing and gruesome death which scientist Isabella Mulhall expresses as torturous. "There was definitely an attempt to use several different methods to traumatize and torture the men," Mulhall added. The theory of sacrifice isn’t indicated within the article although focuses on the severity of the injuries adds that this could have potentially become a murder, focusing on a less evident hypothesis.
b) https://sites.google.com/site/deviantsandthebog/ireland/individual-1
Clonycavan Man’s violent end is not surprising according to Mike Parker Pearson’s research on bog bodies. He states that a common feature of bog bodies is that they were victims of a violent act which caused their death, such as: strangling, throat cutting, stab wounds, and repeated hitting (Pearson 1999: 68).
Mike Parker Pearson, and English archaeologist, suggests that Clonycavan man’s death wasn’t surprising meaning that it was common during the time. The injuries inflicted on Clonycavan Man are highlighted in the quote in which supports the act of violence and the nature of his death.
Another common feature that Clonycavan man shares with many other bog bodies across Northern Europe is his partially shaved head, which Pearson has suggested may be interpreted as a sign that this individual embodied a social role of “impropriety and shame” (Pearson 1999: 70).
Pearson also suggests that with the forensic evidence of Clonycavan Man’s shaved head, that this suggested that he was disgraced or discriminated against in the lead up to his death or even, a major part of a sacrifice. He supports the sacrificial hypothesis although, again any written source is contemporary as we don’t have a contextual account of the exact event.
National Geographic’s article ‘Murdered "Bog Men" Found With Hair Gel, Manicured Nails’ is based on the scientific evidence drawn from the investigation of Clonycavan Man’s ‘wicked’ hairdo and the violent nature of his death. Author James Owen writes about Clonycavan Man’s distressing and gruesome death which scientist Isabella Mulhall expresses as torturous. "There was definitely an attempt to use several different methods to traumatize and torture the men," Mulhall added. The theory of sacrifice isn’t indicated within the article although focuses on the severity of the injuries adds that this could have potentially become a murder, focusing on a less evident hypothesis.
b) https://sites.google.com/site/deviantsandthebog/ireland/individual-1
Clonycavan Man’s violent end is not surprising according to Mike Parker Pearson’s research on bog bodies. He states that a common feature of bog bodies is that they were victims of a violent act which caused their death, such as: strangling, throat cutting, stab wounds, and repeated hitting (Pearson 1999: 68).
Mike Parker Pearson, and English archaeologist, suggests that Clonycavan man’s death wasn’t surprising meaning that it was common during the time. The injuries inflicted on Clonycavan Man are highlighted in the quote in which supports the act of violence and the nature of his death.
Another common feature that Clonycavan man shares with many other bog bodies across Northern Europe is his partially shaved head, which Pearson has suggested may be interpreted as a sign that this individual embodied a social role of “impropriety and shame” (Pearson 1999: 70).
Pearson also suggests that with the forensic evidence of Clonycavan Man’s shaved head, that this suggested that he was disgraced or discriminated against in the lead up to his death or even, a major part of a sacrifice. He supports the sacrificial hypothesis although, again any written source is contemporary as we don’t have a contextual account of the exact event.