Vittrup Man Murder Case: What Happened to Genetic Migrant in Neolithic Denmark Before Ending Up as a Bog Body?

In 1915, peat diggers discovered the fragmented skeletal remains of a man with a severely fractured skull in a peat bog near the Vittrup village in Denmark. The remains were kept in a museum for the next 100 years, but experts recently used various techniques to conduct an in-depth analysis of the remains to learn more about the life and violent death of the so-called Vittrup Man.

Story of Vittrup Man

Vittrup Man is one of the many bog bodies which were only partially preserved. Only parts of his skeleton survived, consisting of the fractured skull, a right ankle bone, the left tibia, and a jawbone. He was discovered along with a wooden club, which experts believe may have been the weapon used to smash him to death.

Radiocarbon dating and isotope analyses revealed that the bones all belonged to the same individual, while genetic analysis confirmed that the remains were those of a male. He was likely deposited in the peat bog from 3300-3100 BCE.

Vittrup Man was included in the 2014 genomic project, which aims to learn more about Eurasia's Mesolithic and Neolithic gene pools. However, his genomic profile markedly differed from other remains recovered from the time region and period.

This intrigued archaeologist Karl-Göran Sjögren from the University of Gothenburg, so his team decided to look closer. They integrated data gathered from different physical, genetic, anthropological, isotopic, and archaeological techniques.

The research team discovered that the size and distinctive characteristics of the remains indicate that Vittrup Man was an adult male in his 30s at the time of his death. His cranium was shattered by at least eight blows using a blunt object like a wooden club. The injuries were fatal, with no signs of healing post-trauma. Since there were no marks on the surviving bones that indicate dismemberment, the experts believe that the body may have come apart while decomposing in the bog.

There were clues from Vittrup Man's teeth, which provided the most interesting insights. Sjögren and his colleagues found isotopes of carbon, strontium, and oxygen, which led them to conclude that the man had grown up along the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Genetic analysis also revealed commonalities with the Mesolithic people of Sweden and Norway. Vittrup Man had blue eyes and darker skin than the usual Neolithic farmer. The teeth and bones also contain isotopes and proteins, which suggests a shift in diet from marine mammals and fish as children to cereals, sheep, and dairy as adults.

The reason why Vittrup Man left the Scandinavian coast and ended up in Denmark remains a mystery. He may have been captured and enslaved or immigrated, or he may have been a foreign merchant who sold goods to foraging and farming communities. As to why he was killed, researchers noted that it was common in present-day Denmark to sacrifice humans in bogs, often conducted in violent ways.

READ ALSO: Human Pelvis, Skull of 'Bog Bodies' Found in Danish Land Proof of Living Sacrifices in Ancient Denmark

Body Preservation in Peat Bogs

Vittrup Man is among the numerous 'bog bodies' discovered from peat bogs in northwestern Europe. These are human cadavers that have been naturally preserved and frequently mummified by the bogs' unique chemical composition.

Peat bogs are dense wetlands filled with partially decayed vegetation. Their soft, spongy ground comprises living and decaying Sphagnum moss. Peat bogs are also home to a wide range of carnivorous plants, such as insect-eating sundews.

As peat ages, it releases humic acid, a compound with the same pH level as vinegar. The bodies left in this wetland are pickled, and decomposition is slowed due to the bog's anaerobic conditions. The best-preserved bog bodies were placed there in winter or early spring when the water was icy, about less than 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). This temperature is too cold for bacteria to thrive. Under these conditions, bog acids were able to saturate the tissues before decay could start.

Peat has been a common source of fuel since the Iron Age. There were even records of peat diggers coming across bog bodies as early as 1640 in Germany. Bog bodies became attractive to antiquarians in the 19th century and archeologists in the 20th century. One of the most famous bog bodies is Tollund Man, found in the 1950s and was believed to live during the 5th century BCE. Tollund Man was mummified so exquisitely that he was originally mistaken for a recent victim of murder, although only his head was preserved for posterity. The rest of his body was allowed to desiccate, given the less advanced preservation methods in the 1950s.

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