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The bog body found in Co Meath. The National Museum of Ireland

Ancient bog body found in Meath

The body was found by Bord na Móna workers in good condition but without a head.

A BOG BODY was found in Rossan Bog, Co Meath on Friday by Bord na Mona workers.

It is too early to reveal the age or sex of the body until special analysis and radiocarbon dating is carried out. However, it is believed that the body has been there for some time and is described as “ancient”.

A team of conservation officers at the National Museum of Ireland transported the body from the bog to the conservation department where specialists will carry out examinations and tests over the coming weeks.

The body was found without a head, but Maeve Sikora, Assistant Keeper in the Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland told TheJournal.ie it doesn’t mean that the body was headless.

The head isn’t there but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there before. The bog is currently in production and is being milled by Bord na Móna, so it’s possible the head was severed during the milling process. But we are still investigating the site, so more material might yet be found.

The body was found in good condition, but it was exposed to the air for some time so it is quite “dried out”, added Sikora. There was also no evidence of any clothes, but closer examination and lab testing will reveal if the body was naked.

Four bodies are currently on display at the National Museum on Kildare Street, including Gallagh Man, Co Galway; Baronstown West Man, Co Kildare; Oldcroghan Man, Co Offaly and Clonycavan Man, Co Meath.

Read: Bog body found in Co Laois could be that of sacrificed king >

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