Clonycavan Man was found in a peat harvesting machine in 2003 in County Meath, Ireland. Despite having died over 2200 years ago, his hair is perfectly preserved, still even styled in a bun atop his head. [OC] [4032×3024]

In 2003, workers collecting peat in a bog in Cloncavan, near the town of Ballivor, County Meath, Ireland, found human remains inside their harvesting machine. It was quickly determined that the body was not of a recent murder victim, but that of someone who had died centuries ago, preserved by the bog’s anoxic and acidic conditions. Only the upper half of the body was found, and it is assumed the lower half was destroyed by the machine.

Despite this, the body is in remarkable condition, particularly the perfectly-preserved hair, still arranged in a bun on top of the man’s head. Pieces of a hair tie used to keep the bun in place were found, and scientific analysis revealed the man had also used a hair gel made of plant oils and resin. The materials used to make the gel came from mainland Europe, attesting to trade routes connecting Ireland with the rest of the continent.

Carbon-14 testing indicated that Cloncavan Man died in the 4th or 3rd centuries BC, when he was in his early 20s. His death was violent, having been repeatedly struck in the head by an edged weapon, likely an ax. It is unknown what led to his killing, but one strong possibility is that he was ritually sacrificed, as his nipples had been cut off, something that has been observed in many bog bodies similarly believed to have been sacrificed.

Today, Cloncavan Man is on display at the National Museum – Archaeology in Dublin.