Bocksten Man
Medieval bog body found in Sweden
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The Bocksten Man (Swedish: Bockstensmannen) is the name given to the remains of a man of the medieval era, which were found in a bog in Varberg Municipality, Sweden. It is one of the best-preserved finds in Europe from that era and is exhibited at the Halland Museum of Cultural History (formerly known as Varberg County Museum). The man had been killed and impaled to the bottom of a lake which later became a bog. The bog where the body was found lies in Rolfstorp in Halland County, about 24 kilometres (15 mi) east of Varberg on the west coast of Sweden, close to the most important medieval road in the area: the Via Regia. In 2006 a reconstruction of the man was made, showing what he may have looked like in life, which was subsequently displayed in the museum alongside the original skeleton.[1][2]
22-23 June 1936 (skeleton)
Varberg, Halland County, Sweden
Bocksten Man | |
|---|---|
Bockstensmannen | |
| |
| Died | |
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Body discovered | 1934 (shoe sole) 22-23 June 1936 (skeleton) |
| Resting place | Halland Museum of Cultural History, Varberg, Halland County, Sweden |
| Era | fl. c. 1250-1520 |
| Known for | His well-preserved remains |
| Height | 170–180 cm (5 ft 7 in – 5 ft 11 in) |
Discovery
In the 1880s, a farm called "Bocksten" was established near a bog located in the parish of Rolfstorp in Halland, Sweden. The bog was then regularly drained, and a harrow was used to gather peat. The farm owner had previously found a leather shoe in the wetland and gave it to the Varberg County Museum. A shoe sole was found in the bog in the summer of 1934.
The body was found by Albert Johansson and his children while gathering peat on 22 June 1936. While pulling a harrow across the bog surface, eleven year old Thure noticed that pieces of cloth and bone had been brought to the surface. At first the children thought the material might have been buried by an animal, but further hand digging revealed additional bones and textile fragments.[3]
The family covered the exposed remains overnight and reported the discovery to the local police the next morning. Johan Albert Sandklef (1893–1990), director of Varberg County Museum, took charge, inviting others — among them naturalist and geologist Lennart von Post (1884–1951), professor at Stockholm University. The group visited on 24 June. They measured and photographed the find before excavating it. The upper parts of the man had passed through the harrow and were badly damaged while the lower parts were intact.[4][5]
County officers and the city doctor from Varberg inspected the site and confirmed that the bones belonged to a human body preserved in the bog. They noted that parts of the clothing were still in place and that the body had been held down by wooden poles.[3]
The Swedish Museum of National Antiquities was consulted after the midsummer weekend to assist with conservation. Curator Gillis Olson and textile expert, historian and archaeologist Agnes Teresa Geijer (1898–1989) took part in the conservation and evaluation. They came to Varberg on 9 July, assisting Sandkelf in the documentation and giving conservation advice. The Bocksten Man has been part of the museum's exhibition since 1937.[6]
Description
The man was 170–180 centimetres (5 ft 7 in – 5 ft 11 in) tall and of slender build. There is an injury covering about 8 by 5 centimetres (3 in × 2 in) on the right side of the cranium. Of the inner organs, parts of the lungs, liver, and brain as well as cartilage are preserved. The man had been impaled to the lake bed with two poles; one of oak that hit his heart and one of beech which went through his back.[citation needed]
The Bocksten Man was buried in a well preserved set of mid 14th century clothing. His garments were made from wadmal, a dense, home woven wool fabric that was widely used for practical outerwear. The textiles show minimal wear, indicating that they were relatively new at the time of burial.[7]
He was wearing a gugel, a pointed hood used as both head covering and neck protection, consistent with common fashion in the period. The hood had a 90-centimetre (35 in) long and 2-centimetre (0.79 in) wide liripipe ("tail"). Over this he wore a wool mantel with an opening that allowed the right arm to move freely. A long wool tunic formed the main body garment, secured with a leather belt that held two knives and a small leather object.[3]
The leather sheath found with him was 40 millimetres (1.6 in) wide and 62 millimetres (2.4 in) long, composed of three layers with a combined saltire and St George's Cross (thus giving a pattern similar to the Union Jack) carved on the outer layer. On the inner layer, a similar pattern was carved, though this time a pole was added to the symbol.[8]
Instead of trousers he wore wool hose, which were held up by leather straps attached to an inner belt beneath the tunic. His footwear consisted of flat soled leather shoes and cloth foot wraps made from repurposed textile fragments.[7]
Although the clothing was of good quality, the materials were locally produced and not the imported fabrics associated with the nobility. The combination of well made but non elite garments suggests that the Bocksten Man belonged to a middling social group, possibly connected to service or skilled work in a household or at a site such as Varberg Castle. [7]
Gallery
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Interpretations
Several people have evaluated the finding, among them museum director Johan Albert Sandklef, Gunnel Margareta Nockert of Uppsala University, and historian Owe Wennerholm. All three have written books regarding their findings.
Date
The Bocksten Man is generally dated to the medieval period. According to the Halland Museum of Cultural History, his clothing, especially the type of hood and tunic he wore, matches styles that were common in the mid 1300s. These garments, and the way they were made, are strong indicators that he lived during this time.[9]
A radiocarbon test of a textile sample was carried out in the late 1980s. The Varberg Museum reports that the results show a 68 percent probability that the material dates between 1290 and 1410, and a 95 percent probability that it falls between 1290 and 1430. These results fit well with the stylistic dating suggested by the clothing. The museum also notes that bog environments and earlier conservation methods may affect the precision of radiocarbon testing, but the overall range still supports a medieval date.[9]
Age
Osteological analysis indicates that the man was likely between 30 and 35 years old at the time of his death. This estimate is based on dental wear, bone growth, and joint surfaces. Both the Halland Museum of Cultural History and the Varberg Museum provide this age range in their public research summaries.[9]
Cause of death
It has been a matter of some discussion about what actually caused the death of the man. In January 2006 a professor and a doctor at Sahlgrenska University Hospital performed an "operation" on a plastic model of the body, based on computed tomography of the body. As a result, they concluded that he had first been hit at the lower jaw, then at the right ear, and finally a lethal hit further towards the back of his head.[10]
Identity
A hypothesis has been presented that the person was Simon Gudmundi, the dean of the Diocese of Linköping who died on 12 May 1491. In his 1998 book, Vem var Bockstensmannen? (Who was the Bocksten Man?), Owe Wennerholm reasoned that Gudmundi's name fit with what might be initials found on what might be a micro shield. It is also likely that Gudmundi visited the area. He worked with a group which tried to get Catherine of Vadstena canonized. One of her reputed miracles had taken place in the neighbouring village. Speculation was that he was killed by order of Hemming Gadh (c. 1450–1520) so that Gadh could assume the post of dean of the Diocese of Linköping.[11]
