Gods in the Bog
Above: The statue recovered from the bog! Credit: AMS
An eight foot tall wood statue from 1,600 years ago has been discovered in an Irish peat bog that researchers believe was a totem to a pagan deity. Along with the statue, animal bones and a dagger were found suggesting the site may have had some ritual purpose to the ancient peoples who crafted it. One specialist said that it may have even functioned as a stand in for a human sacrifice.
When preserving artifacts, you often have to provide on strong construction, a safe environment, and a lot of luck. The pyramids, the pantheon, and medieval castles all have this in common. Some sites though, like the bogs in Ireland or Pompeii for instance, are able to naturally capture and preserve things for thousands of years. Learn more about the statue at Smithsonian Mag here!
An eight foot tall wood statue from 1,600 years ago has been discovered in an Irish peat bog that researchers believe was a totem to a pagan deity. Along with the statue, animal bones and a dagger were found suggesting the site may have had some ritual purpose to the ancient peoples who crafted it. One specialist said that it may have even functioned as a stand in for a human sacrifice.
When preserving artifacts, you often have to provide on strong construction, a safe environment, and a lot of luck. The pyramids, the pantheon, and medieval castles all have this in common. Some sites though, like the bogs in Ireland or Pompeii for instance, are able to naturally capture and preserve things for thousands of years. Learn more about the statue at Smithsonian Mag here!
