Comments for Lindow Manchester

Comment on The first weekend of the Lindow Man Exhibition by Bryan Sitch

Bryan Sitch — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:24 +0000

It’s great that we’re still getting comments on the Lindow Man blog, even though the exhibition finished last April (2009). The comment by ‘Puzzled’ about an over-intellectual approach from over a year ago is not one that I agreed with (see my reply of 24th April 2008). I might just say in reply to Marcus’ contribution that I agree with him that not all bog bodies are necessarily the result of sacrifice. People fell in accidentally and drowned. There are historically attested examples of this. Some are victims of what could be described as muggings but some of the bodies look as though the victims have been prepared. Marcus offers a range of scenarios for Lindow Man, which again invite discussion. The radiocarbon dates are fuzzy but appear to put Lindow Man in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, some time after the Roman annexation of northern Britain. If Lindow Man was a ‘collaborator’ (what might that mean in northern British terms, thinking about Cartimandua for instance?) and had been set upon by vengeful fellow tribesmen or by Roman soldiers brutalizing the native population, why is it that the forensic evidence suggests some degree of grooming? Someone selected at random and subjected to summary justice would be unlikely to have manicured finger nails. If Lindow Man had been someone important (which might explain the finger nails) and was killed as a warning why carry out the killing in a bog? The absence of evidence of carrion eating insects suggests Lindow Man died in the bog, not elsewhere and then dumped in the bog afterwards. Would Roman soldiers go to all the trouble of killing their victim in Lindow Moss? The similarities to the relatively recently discovered Irish bog bodies (manicured fingernails; good physical condition, even athleticism of the dead person) is suggestive. These people at least appear to be special in some way but whether they are part of an elite group within that society or were selected as scapegoats (which is a possibility from my reading of Rene Girard’s work) is difficult to say. The fact that we are still debating this nearly 8 months after the exhibition finished shows just how intractable is the problem!

Comment on The first weekend of the Lindow Man Exhibition by Marcus

Marcus — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:32:59 +0000

“overintellectualized” is a strange way to describe a museum exhibit. Lindow man was not a sacrifice. There seems to be a knee jerk conclusion that every “bog body” was a sacrifice. Lindow man met his violent death in the middle of what we know was a horribly
brutal foreign invasion and a desparate final defence. In such an environment there are many violent ways to die. Its more likely that in the chaos of that time he was murdered by criminals, or by persons with a personal grudge to settle. Perhaps he was suspected by his own people of being a collaborator, confronted and set upon. It equally possible that Roman soldiers payed his village a visit beliveing members of his village to have carried out attacks on them. They would have gone straight to the headmans house and dragged, maybe, his oldest son out and in front of the rest brutally killed him as a punishment. We have written records dedcribing this common Roman behavior toward recently conquered subject peoples.

Comment on Review of Lindow Man Exhibition by sandrar

sandrar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:52:04 +0000

Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. Cheers! Sandra. R.

Comment on Mistletoe for the Chop? by Jonathan Briggs

Jonathan Briggs — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:37:46 +0000

Re-reading the blog I think the cambridgeshire oak mistletoe you’re describing may be on bog-oak – and therefore archaeological? Can you clarify? If it is an archaeological mistletoe plant in-situ on a bog oak that is of some significance – as mistletoe is (and always has been) very rare on oak and so the chances of an archaeological survival would be very small. More info please!

Comment on Mistletoe for the Chop? by Jonathan Briggs

Jonathan Briggs — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:06:17 +0000

Some confused accounts of mistletoe appearing here! The Lindow Man and mistletoe connection is very unclear – and I’ve never yet read a proper explanation! If he had mistletoe pollen in his gut it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Mistletoe pollen is spread by insects and wind – in your account you (and J D Hill) are confusing it with berries – which are spread by birds and man. Pollen is only around in February/March, when mistletoe flowers – so this does give clear dating, unless of course it had been dried and stored… As for eating mistletoe – well it’s still eaten/drunk in tea form in continental Europe, so that may not be significant at all. The oak mistletoe in Cambridgeshire, if its a living specimen, is only going to be a few decades old at most – maybe 100 years if lucky. Just because it’s at an ancient site doesn’t make it contemporary – but it is likely to have been introduced there deliberately, but more likely in recent years. HTH Jonathan

Comment on Lindow Man Without Lindow Man by mrred

mrred — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:49:27 +0000

Love this blog I’ll be back when I have more time.

Comment on More on Mistletoe by joe walsh

joe walsh — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:05:50 +0000

I was told that Alderman Fletcher Moss had mistletoe ‘planted’ on the old apple tree in his Parsonage Garden in Didsbury. this tree is now gone but the mistletoe has taken root in a number of trees in the Fletcher Moss Gardens, too high to have been placed, so it will grow in the area. How common is it in the general area of South Manchester? What do the pollen records show from the time of Lindow Man’s Death? If it was as rare then as now, how did its pollen come to be in his final meal? The Golden Bough may yet have a say in this tale.

Comment on Manchester Histories Festival by mengava

mengava — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:36:30 +0000

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Comment on For Peat’s Sake by Flancilalouff

Flancilalouff — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:32:11 +0000

FANTASTIC!

Comment on Lindow Man Stats by bryansitch

bryansitch — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:32:25 +0000

It’s now (April 3rd) at about 1400 hits per month and has had three consecutive months of growth (January to March 2009). This is the highest it’s been seen last April/May. There have been almost 14000 views since the site launched.