Weerdinge Men
The remains of the Weerdinge Men shortly after discovery in 1904 prepared for air drying (photographer Geert Jannes Landweer)

The Weerdinge Men is the name given to two bog bodies found in 1904 in Weerdinge, Drenthe, in the southern part of Bourtange moor, in the Netherlands. Radiocarbon dating shows that they likely died between 160 BC and 220 AD. At first, it was believed that one of the two bodies was female, which led to the name "Weerdinge Couple", or, more popular, "Mr. and Mrs. Veenstra", veen being the Dutch term for bog and "Veenstra" being a common Dutch surname.[1]

Pathology

The more complete Weerdinge Man had a large wound on his chest, through which his intestines spilled out. Some observers believe that this points to a ritualistic purpose for the killing.[1] Strabo, a Roman historian, recounts tales of Iron Age Europeans attempting to divine the future by "reading entrails."[2] The cause of death of the other Weerdinge Man is unknown.

References

52°50′48″N 6°57′24″E / 52.84667°N 6.95667°E / 52.84667; 6.95667[3]

  1. 1 2 Nephin, Dan (6 July 2005). "Mummy Exhibit Shows Off Interactive Side". AP Online. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.(subscription required)
  2. ↑ NOVA | The Perfect Corpse | Bog Bodies of the Iron Age | PBS
  3. ↑ van der Sanden, Wijnand (1990). Mens en moeras: veenlijken in Nederland van de bronstijd tot en met de Romeinse tijd. Assen: Drents Museum. pp. 62 Fig 14. ISBN 90-70884-31-3.
  4. van der Sanden, Wijnand (1990). Mens en moeras: veenlijken in Nederland van de bronstijd tot en met de Romeinse tijd. Assen: Drents Museum. pp. 62 Fig 14. ISBN 90-70884-31-3.
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