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Bog Body Bernie: New insights into life in the 8th century!
In Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, a research team is examining the clothing of the bog corpse "Bernie" to shed light on everyday life in the early Middle Ages.
Bog Body Bernie: New insights into life in the 8th century!
An exciting chapter in research into the “Bernie” bog body is currently being opened in the Emden State Museum. The scientists looked at the clothing from the moorland site in order to gain deeper insights into early medieval everyday life in the region. As NDR reports, the investigation is being carried out under the direction of the Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research from Wilhelmshaven and is expected to take three years.
The bog body “Bernie”, which was discovered by two peat cutters near Bernuthsfeld near Aurich in 1907, is considered the flagship of the East Frisian State Museum. Its state of preservation is remarkable because the man was fully clothed when he was buried - a rarity in the archaeological world. Forensic investigations from 2011 to 2016 revealed that Bernie lived in the eighth century and was between 30 and 40 years old.
The focus of clothing
During the analysis, the focus is on specific items of clothing: tunics, large capes, shawls, calf bandages and other smaller textiles are examined closely. The researchers rely on chemical and textile archaeological studies that are intended to provide information about Bernie's lifestyle and diet. This also includes the origin of the wool and colored materials in order to understand possible migration movements and regional life. Such insights could not only expand the picture of Bernie's everyday life, but also contribute to how we understand early medieval society as a whole.
The project is based on comprehensive data and prior knowledge from peatland research. In a series of publications dealing with bog bodies and cultural history, numerous aspects of lifestyles in the past have already been identified. The origin of the term “bog body” is also intensively discussed by archaeologists, as cited by ja.
A look into history
The history of bog body research is long and offers a fascinating insight into our older cultures. “Bernie” is not the only known find. One of the last notable discoveries is the bog body “Moora” from the Uchter Moor as well as other finds from the last few decades that reveal interesting aspects of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age settlement in Lower Saxony.
In view of this exciting research, we can't wait to see what insights the analysis of Bernie's clothing will provide. It could give us valuable insights into a time long past and at the same time underline the importance of moorland landscapes as archives of our history.