Haraldskær Woman

Who is Haraldskær Woman?

The Haraldskær Woman is a bog body of a woman found naturally preserved in a bog in Jutland, Denmark, and dating from about 490 BCE. Workers found the body in 1835 while excavating peat on the Haraldskær Estate. The anaerobic conditions and acids of the peat bog contributed to the body's excellent preservation. Not only was the intact skeleton found, but so were the skin and internal organs. Scientists settled disputes about the age and identity of this well preserved body in 1977, when radiocarbon dating determined conclusively that the woman's death occurred around the fifth century BCE.

The Haraldskær Woman's body is on permanent display in an ornate glass-covered sarcophagus inside St. Nicolai Church in central Vejle, Denmark.