Body aged over 2,000 years found in Laois bog

PREHISTORIC human remains, believed to be the result of a human sacrifice, have been found on Bord na Móna land in Co Laois.

The significant find has been described as “very exciting” by the National Museum of Ireland.

Initial examinations indicate it could be a woman’s body.

The museum said the find was one of very few bog bodies discovered in situ, which meant not only the remains but its intact environment could be studied.

Speaking at the site, Ned Kelly, keeper at the museum’s Irish antiquities division, said there had been over 100 bog bodies found in Ireland, but many were not well preserved and some were just parts of bodies removed from their sites and found inside milling machines.

“At present we can see a pair of legs, which are quite well preserved, probably the best preserved part of the body,” he said. “On preliminary examination we can be reasonably certain that it is a late prehistoric bog body.”

He said at this stage he did not know the precise age or gender of the individual, but the body could be that of a young woman.

“This was probably a ritual deposition of a human sacrifice.”

The body is estimated to be over 2,000 years old. It appears the torso and head, which were in a leather bag, did not survive. The legs, however, were not enclosed by the bag and were preserved by chemicals in the peat.

Found in the Cul na Móna bog between Abbeyleix and Portlaoise, it was discovered by an employee operating a milling machine on Wednesday evening.

The man spotted something unusual from his cab just as his machine was about to go over the area. He stopped the machine and then alerted his manager about the find.

Work ceased in the area when the discovery was made and the National Museum of Ireland and An Garda Síochána were contacted. Yesterday morning, staff from the national museum began examining the find.

Mr Kelly said: “We’ve had a number of other finds in this bog in the past, including bog butter and a pre-historic bronze axe, so the area is of known archaeological interest.”