The Huldremose Woman, also known as the Huldre Fen Woman, is a bog body from the Iron Age discovered in 1879 in a peat bog near Ramten, Jutland, Denmark. Carbon dating shows she lived during the Iron Age, between 160 BC and 340 AD. Her remains are important because they are very well preserved, include a large collection of textiles, and show signs of injuries that occurred around the time of her death. Unlike many other bog bodies, she was found fully dressed in multiple garments made of wool, plant fibers, and animal skins. These materials have helped scientists learn more about textile-making techniques in early Iron Age Scandinavia. Her mummified remains are displayed at the National Museum of Denmark. The detailed clothing she wore has been recreated and shown in several museums.

Discovery

On 15 May 1879, a body was found by a worker whose name is not known in the town of Ramten, Denmark. The worker discovered the body after digging one meter into the peat.

Bioarchaeology

The body was discovered with the legs bent behind the back and a nearly severed right arm. Experts believe the arm was injured before she died. Otherwise, the body was mostly intact.

One of her legs was broken, but it had healed before she died. Cuts on one foot were initially thought to be caused by a shovel after death. However, later analysis suggested these injuries occurred close to the time of her death. A rope was found around the neck, indicating she may have been hanged or strangled. However, it could also have been a necklace.

In 1990, the body was studied without causing harm, and a dietary analysis was done in 1999. X-rays revealed hair stubble on the scalp and brain remains inside the skull. The bones were weakened, similar to other bog bodies. The dietary study used two gut samples, showing her last meal was rye bread.

Clothing and textile analysis

The Huldremose Woman was discovered wearing clothing and accessories, unlike many other bog bodies, which are often found without clothing. Scientists studied these items and found that people in the Scandinavian Early Iron Age used a variety of textile weaving, dyeing, and animal skin technologies that were not previously known. Her clothing was examined by researchers at the Danish National Research Foundation's Center of Textile Research and the National Museum of Denmark.

The Huldremose Woman wore several layered sheep skin cloaks with the fluffy side facing outward. These cloaks were made from well-prepared, curly sheep wool. The largest cloak measured 82 cm in height and 170 cm in width. It was made from five main rectangular pieces of dark sheep skin, with two smaller triangular pieces near the top. Some parts of the cloak had light goat skin. The inside of the cloak had a lining of dark sheep skin. The smaller cloak was slightly shorter and narrower, made from 7-8 main sheep skin pieces and smaller patches of sheep, goat, and deer skin. Both cloaks had an uneven shape with a slanted neckline.

She also wore a wool scarf and a wool skirt. The scarf was fastened with a pin made from a bird bone. Scientists found that the skirt was originally blue or purple, and the scarf was red. Dye tests showed that natural plant dyes and chemicals were used to create patterns with at least five different colors. Marks on her skin and some remaining fibers suggest she wore a white inner garment made of plant fibers, which covered her from the shoulders to below her knees. The type of plant fiber is unknown, but evidence from the same time suggests it might have been nettle. A horn comb, a leather cord, and a wool headband were also found in a pocket made from a bladder.

In 2009, Dr. Karin Frei led a study that used a special test called strontium isotope analysis on the Huldremose Woman and her clothing. This test showed that the wool scarf came from a local area. The wool skirt was made from wool from at least three different places, including a local source and sources from northern Scandinavia, such as Norway or Sweden. The plant fiber garment and the Huldremose Woman herself likely came from outside the local area, also matching northern Scandinavia. This study suggests that textiles were traded or transported over long distances more often than previously thought.