Bog Bodies. Preserved bodies are crucial to historians in unravelling information on past civilisations. The nature of the bodies and the conclusions that can be drawn allow a scientific outlook on their lives.

Authors Avatar

Preserved bodies are crucial to historians in unravelling information on past civilisations. The nature of the bodies and the conclusions that can be drawn allow a scientific outlook on their lives. The evidence, found with the body, including weaponry and equipment allow opportunity to investigate the technology of past civilisations. The nature of the body furthermore reveal details on status, appearance and occupation, giving modern historians insight to the general day-to-day lives and the structure of past civilisations. From this, it can be determined that preserved bodies play an essential role in learning about the past.

The various items that are found with bodies reveal the technology available at the time and subsequently the estimated time of which the person lived. The 5000 year old preserved body of Otzi, found in the Italian Alps, was found with various pieces of weaponry; a copper axe, flint dagger, a bow and arrows. These pieces of equipment gave modern historians a standpoint to the technological advancements of past civilisations. The copper axe head indicates that ancient civilisations of Otzi’s time had access to copper tools and weapons. The evidence of copper along with DNA testing provided further evidence that Otzi lived during the Copper Age, from 3500 to 2300 BC. In addition to this, at the time, Otzi’s axe would have been an invaluable possession as it was important as both a tool and a status symbol for the owner. This implies that Otzi was of high status in society. Preserved bodies are crucial to historians in unravelling the accessibility of technology at certain times in the past and subsequently the progress of which mankind has been developing, allowing a greater understanding of the lifestyles of past civilisations.

Join now!

In addition to this, Otzi’s clothing and weaponry reveals his possible occupation. Modern historians have collaborated with scientists to analyse hair samples of Otzi that were found on his coat, leggings and shoes through mass spectrometry. Their results have shown that Otzi’s coat and leggings were made from sheep’s fur and his shoes were from migrating cattle’s skin. These cattle were usually cared for by herdsmen in the region of which Otzi was discovered, suggesting that Otzi may have been a herdsman. Historians have deducted from this that Otzi may have died on the job. However experiments with reconstructed bows ...

This is a preview of the whole essay