Bocksten Man

The Bocksten Man (Swedish: Bockstensmannen) is the well-preserved remains of a medieval man discovered in a peat bog in Halland County, Sweden, in 1936. He died in the mid-14th century and was placed in a shallow lake, where his body was secured to the lake bed with wooden stakes before the lake gradually developed into a bog. The conditions preserved parts of his body, including his hair and several internal organs, together with an unusually complete set of medieval clothing. The Bocksten Man is one of the best-preserved medieval bog bodies in Europe. His surviving wool garments, leather shoes and other personal items provide archaeological evidence for clothing and everyday material culture in 14th-century Sweden. Later forensic examination found evidence that he had been struck several times in the head before his body was deposited in the lake. His remains, clothing and a modern facial reconstruction are exhibited at the Halland Museum of Cultural History in Varberg, Sweden.