A team of researchers has analyzed over 1,000 bog bodies , find that many of them met red ends , and nearly all of them were placed in bogs by choice .

Peat is created through the rotting of constituent subject , largely from works material such as moss . In fussy . whensphagnum mossaccumulates enough in wetland to take shape a peat bog , the layer of peat shape acids that are unbelievably practiced at uphold body . Fall into one of these – or get murdered or sacrificed and thrown into one of these – and your soft tissue get turn to leather by the tanning factor , while your calcium - rich clappers get discontinue down . The resolution is often – as was the case for the famous Lindow Man – a diffuse mess of leather .

The present study looked at human remains found in 266 sites over Europe , cross from 9,000 BCE to 1,900 CE . In the analysis , the team include body region and fond skeletal remains , as well as the more well - preserved specimen termed " bogmummies " . They write that the conflict between the two types of remains is more to do with the conditions for preservation , rather than the practices of the human race who stick the body them there .

" former archaeological probe that focused solely on the well - conserve peat bog mammy have not given the whole picture , " archeologist and paper co - author Sophie Bergerbrantsaid in a statement . " All categories of human corpse have worthful information . And when we analysed these , a raw picture became apparent . ”

The team dated and map the bodies and dead body role , expect for form and peaks in body deposits , and analyse common characteristics between the soul and the manner of theirdeaths .

They found that there were greater numbers of bog body find in Ireland , the UK , northern Germany , Denmark , southern Norway , and southerly Sweden . Looking at more decomposed specimens helped them set that bodies had been placed in bogs for longer than previously thought , increase in relative frequency from 1000 BCE onwards .

Of the 57 bodies where a cause of death had been established through physical evidence orhistorical origin , 45 tortuous fury , six die by self-destruction and were likelyplaced in the peat bog in topographic point of a churchyard , four by accident , and one by disease .

Though the motive for depositing bodies into bogs changes over the century studied , the team believes that some of the burials were ritualistic .

" In general , distinguishing between ‘ ritualistic ’ and other forms of tearing acts , such as armed conflicts , raid or looting , is often impossible base on archaeological evidence , " the squad excuse in the sketch . " The elision are ‘ cultus sites ’ , where ritual depositions of other material took place alongside ( often disarticulated ) human remains . "

However , the squad guide out that it is not possible to set whether the ferocity that caused their death were ritualistic , given the deficiency of archaeological grounds available . But red , most of the peat bog dead body ' death most surely were .

" Setting aside accidental deaths , the significant evidence for tearing deaths and the large numeral of repeatedly used land site make it dependable to assume that most finds of human remains in mires reflect intentional depositions , " the squad compose in their conclusion , lend that " violent deaths are in all likelihood underrepresented in our database due to conservation outcome and a frequent lack of high - resolution palaeoanthropological investigation . "

The discipline ispublished in Antiquity .