BELLAGHY, NORTHERN IRELAND—According to a statement released by National Museums NI, a mysterious ancient bog body uncovered by peat harvesters in 2023 is not male, as originally thought, but female. Initial assessments of the human remains suggested that the figure belonged to a teenage boy. Recent osteoarchaeological analysis conducted by National Museums NI and other institutions have revealed that the body is in fact that of a 17- to 22-year-old woman, who is now being referred to as the Ballymacombs More Woman. Cut marks on her neck indicate that she had her throat slit and was decapitated before being tossed into the bog sometime between the fourth and first century b.c. She seems to have been a victim of a human sacrifice ritual that was widespread across northern Europe during the Iron Age, when communities may have offered individuals as votive offerings to the gods for fertility or good fortune. The finding is particularly noteworthy because similarly preserved bog bodies from this time period are typically male. “Ballymacombs More Woman is certainly one of the most important archaeological discoveries on the island of Ireland,” said Niamh Baker, curator of archaeology at National Museums NI. “This important discovery gives us a glimpse into the lives of the people of our ancient past and offers insights into how they lived, interacted with their environment, and developed their cultures.” For more on bogs in the British Isles, go to "Saving Northern Ireland's Noble Bog."
