Lindow Man

About 2,200 years ago, near a swampy marsh ofprosperity. Recently, workers cutting peat, or sod,
wetland or bog, located in present dayin the Manchester swamp discovered the body of
Manchester, England, a number of Celtic prieststhe victim that was sacrificed. Scientists had
assembled together and passed around a sackdubbed the victim as "Lindow Man", after the site
made of parchment that contains multiple pieceswhere he was uncovered. Chemicals contained in
of thin bread. Each priest would blindly reach intothe bog water have preserved the body very
the leather bag and took a piece. One man,well and left it in a remarkable condition. Based on
presumably in his late 20s, pulled out a burntscientific analysis, it is believed that the man was
portion of the bread- the only one contained inmost likely someone of high status as his body
the bag. He and the others understood very welldisplayed little evidence of heavy or rough work.
what this meant. In a bizarre, yet dignified ritual,In this eccentric sacrificial ritual, as indicated by the
the young man was killed and his body was left incomplex injuries, the man's jaw and collar bone
the swamp.was broken, he was strangled at the neck as well
Based on the Celtic religion, the person who choseas having his throat severed. There is a possibility
the burnt bread was killed and sacrificed as anthat this ritual was widespread since more than
offering to the gods. They believed that by doing100 similarly executed bodies have been
so, it will please the gods and as a result, theuncovered throughout Europe.
people will be blessed with good fortune and