Damendorf Man is a German bog body found in 1900 in the See Moor near the village of Damendorf in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Scientific tests show he lived between 135 and 335 AD, during the Roman Empire. His body is well-preserved. Over many years, the heavy peat pressed the body into a flat shape, keeping the skin, hair, and clothes in good condition, but the bones broke down or rotted. The discovery included a leather belt, shoes, pieces of woolen breeches, and a pair of woolen puttees.

The remains, one of the most interesting bog bodies from Schleswig-Holstein, are on permanent display at the Archäologisches Landesmuseum at Schloss Gottorf.

Discovery

The Man of Damendorf was found in the Seemoor, a peat bog near the village of Damendorf and about 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) northwest of Groß Wittensee, in the Hüttener Berge area. The bog covers about 23 hectares (57 acres) and was once used to cut peat for fuel. Today, it is a protected wetland and nature area with a 2.5-kilometre (1.6-mile) walking trail.

On 28 May 1900, two workers digging peat on land owned by a local innkeeper named Hagge found pieces of wool clothing at a depth of about 2.5 to 3 metres (8.2 to 9.8 feet). As they dug further, they uncovered a man’s body preserved in the bog. They reported the discovery to the local headman, Sye, who told the district administrator, Freiherr von der Reck. Von der Reck sent a message by telegraph to the Museum of National Antiquities in Kiel. Museum curator Dr. Splieth and von der Reck then traveled to Damendorf to examine and protect the remains.

After inspecting the body, they agreed to buy it from Hagge. The remains were carefully packed, transported to the museum, and arrived in Kiel on 1 June 1900. Museum conservators began preserving the body.

Before the Damendorf Man was found, a woman’s remains were discovered in the same bog in 1884. Only her clothing remains. In 1934, a girl’s body from 810 BCE was also found in the same area.

Display and examination

The remains are displayed at the Archäologisches Landesmuseum. Professor P.V. Glob noted that the man died in 300 BCE. What makes this bog body special is that the heavy peat in the bog flattened his body. Only his hair, skin, nails, and a few pieces of clothing were preserved, along with traces of some bones. Items found with him included a leather belt, shoes, parts of a pair of woollen breeches, and a pair of woollen puttees.