Bog Bodies

Melanie Giles is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Manchester

'[...] this book is so much more than just an archaeological text setting out what we know about these fascinating remains. Giles takes us on a journey that is poignant, moving and often deeply personal. I have so much empathy in how Giles relates her work to her own sense of bereavement, having lost my own mother recently, that I am left saying, “Hell yes – this is archaeology”. Archaeology of the very best kind – the kind that helps you explore what it is to be human.'British Archaeology, Neil Redfern'Bog Bodies is an exhaustive study of human remains extracted from bogs in northern Europe where conditions amenable to preservation have resulted in the recovery of largely complete bodies. Giles (Univ. of Manchester, UK) explores the natural context of the bogs and how they interacted with the "bog bodies" found within them, delving deeply into the bodies' recovery. She deals with how historians and the public have viewed the bodies, pointing out that shaky assumptions have often driven interpretation. Treatment of the subject raises questions relating to death, from well-known examples to the more general occurrence of the dead, both in past and present cultural contexts and in relation to the bogs' natural environment. Giles's survey of finds, as well as public presentations in museums and written reconstructions, suggests to her that the dead offer a way for everyone to richly connect with and understand the lives of the past. Well-illustrated, with a current bibliography, this book is an obvious acquisition for colleges and universities with appropriate departments. The author's sensitive treatment will also interest a wider audience.--R. B. Clay, emeritus, University of KentuckySumming Up: Recommended. General readers through graduate students.Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association.

• 1 Introduction 2 Discovering bog bodies 3 Preserving the dead 4 Crossing the bog 5 Exquisite things and everyday treasures: interpreting deposition in the bog6 Violent ends7 Worsley Man: Manchester’s bog head 8 Disquieting exhibits9 Conclusion: creative legaciesIndex