A chance discovery in a giant mound
In 1871, farmers removing soil from one of Denmark's largest Bronze Age burial mounds, Borum Eshøj, uncovered a waterlogged oak coffin. Inside were the remains of a woman, buried around 1350 BCE. This first discovery was soon followed in 1875 by a formal excavation led by the National Museum of Denmark, which revealed two more oak-log coffins. These held an older man and a younger man. The mound, which originally measured about 40 meters in diameter and 9 meters high, had been built over these three central graves.
The three individuals were an older man aged 50-60, a woman of a similar age, and a young man around 20-22 years old. Each was laid to rest inside a coffin carved from a single, massive oak trunk. Dendrochronological dating shows the trees were felled between 1351 and 1345 BCE. The older man was placed in the center of the mound, laid on a cowhide. Wood chips found at the site suggest his coffin was crafted on the spot. The young man's coffin was found to the east, covered by stones. Together, these three burials provide an exceptionally detailed record at the funerary practices and material culture of a Bronze Age elite.
Chemistry of preservation
The preservation of the bodies and their garments results from the unique chemical environment inside the coffins and the mound. The mound was constructed with a waterlogged clay core sealed by an outer mantle of turf. Over time, a hard layer of iron pan formed between these two layers, creating an oxygen-poor, sealed environment. Tannic acids from the oak coffins, combined with the acidic bog-like conditions, tanned the skin, hair, and textiles, preventing their decay. While the skeletons largely dissolved in the acidic conditions, softer organic materials survived in detail.
The older man was dressed in a woven wool kilt, a kidney-shaped cloak, and a round-crowned hat. His face was clean-shaven, and his nails were well-manicured. The young man wore a similar kilt and cloak and had a bronze dagger in a wooden scabbard. The woman was dressed in a short-sleeved blouse and a long wrap-around skirt. Her hair was held in a net, and she was buried with numerous bronze ornaments, including a decorative belt plate, a neck ring, arm rings, and a dagger. She also had a horn comb and a small wooden box. These complete woolen outfits are among the best-preserved examples of Bronze Age clothing in the world.