BOG BODIES
Stories of the Mummified Dead with Melanie Giles
At Kensal Green Cemetery on Saturday the 12th October 2024 - 3:30 pm

The cool, highly acidic and low-oxygen conditions of the humble peat bog make it the perfect environment in which to naturally mummify human corpses. The well-preserved remains which have emerged from peat across Ireland, Britain, Denmark and Germany have captured our imagination for centuries. Whilst some date from prehistory (with a significant cluster in the Iron Age and early Roman era), others are much more recent.

In this talk Melanie Giles will explore the science behind their miraculous preservation and, through a series of case histories, reveal some of the stories contained in these remains. From violent death and suggestions of sacrifice, to executions and accidental deaths in bad weather, the archaeology of these human remains enables us to tell moving stories about past lives. It also helps us ‘see’ bogs and other wetlands differently, and the talk will place the archaeology of peatlands in the wider context of their increasing importance in the climate crises.

Tickets £12 including a Victorian punch and a 20% donation to a host of restoration projects at Kensal Green Cemetery. Please click here to purchase.

MELANIE GILES
Professor Melanie Giles is an archaeologist at the University of Manchester. She is a specialist in mortuary archaeology, including the ‘Arras culture’ burials of East Yorkshire, and the well preserved ‘bog bodies’ from north-western Europe. Author of several books, she features regularly in the media, and works extensively with creative artists to champion and celebrate archaeology and heritage.

 

 

 

 

Kensal Green Cemetery Chapel