The 2,400-year-old head was secretly transported in a station wagon to the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University.
Who was the Tollundman?
In 1950, the body of a man was found in a bog near Silkeborg, on Jutland in Denmark. Tollundmannen is on display at the Silkeborg Museum.
He is approximately 2,400 years old and died between 405 and 380 BC, according to previous carbon-14 dating. He therefore lived at about the same time as the philosopher Socrates.
The body was found with a leather rope around its neck. He was probably 30-40 years old, 164-167 centimeters tall and wore size 41 in shoes. When he was laid in the bog, he was short-haired and quite freshly shaved.
He was probably in good health when he died, but had foot warts and intestinal worms.
(Source: Museum Silkeborg)
After a day of CT scans and analyses, the researchers can now tell more about Tollundmannen’s state of health. Aarhus University writes in a press release.
It turns out that the interior of the old corpse found in a bog is surprisingly well preserved.
Examined the eyes
Tollundmann’s one eye is completely intact with shape and optic nerves. The other is punctured.
His eyes and mouth are also intact with an almost Mona Lisa-like smile.
The researchers have now obtained detailed images of his teeth, which they are currently examining.
Although it is uncertain whether the Tollundmannen has had dental disease, the new images can contribute to knowledge about just that.
– It can tell whether he has had access to resources or whether there have been crises along the way. Does he have cavities in his teeth, does he have dental abscesses, and does he still have all his teeth? We would like to know as much as possible about him, says Ole Nielsen, director of Museum Silkeborg, where the Tollundmannen is on display every day.
How did he die?
The prevailing theory has long been that the Tollundman was hanged, since he was found 74 years ago with a leather rope around his neck.
But previous scans and X-rays have been less than accurate. It has therefore not been possible to confirm whether he has suffocated.
This is something that the new pictures can perhaps help to shed light on.
See photo series from the scan here:
© Videnskab.dk. Translated by Trine Andreassen for forskning.no. Read the original story on videnskab.dk here.
