Haraldskær Woman 1.73

The Haraldskær Woman is a bog body of a woman found naturally preserved in a bog in Jutland, Denmark, and dating from about 490 BC . Workers found the body in 1835 while excavating peat on the Haraldskær Estate. The anaerobic conditions and acids of the peat bog contributed to the body's excellent preservation. Not only was the intact skeleton found, but so were the skin and internal organs. Scientists settled disputes about the age and identity of this well preserved body in 1977, when radiocarbon dating determined conclusively that the woman's death occurred around the 5th century BC.The Haraldskær Woman's body is on permanent display in an ornate glass-covered sarcophagus inside St. Nicolai Church in central Vejle, Denmark.Mistaken identityAfter discovery of the body, early theories of her identity centered on the persona of Queen Gunnhild of Norway, who lived around 1000 AD. Most of the bog bodies recovered indicate the victim died from a violent murder or ritualistic sacrifice. These theories are consistent with the body being put into a bog as opposed to burial in dry earth.According to the Jomsvikinga Saga, Harald Bluetooth of Denmark ordered Queen Gunnhild be drowned in a bog. Based upon the belief of her royal personage, King Frederick VI of Denmark-Norway commanded an elaborately carved sarcophagus to hold her body.