鈥淗e was built like Schwarzenegger, but he had the daintiest fingernails I鈥檝e ever seen,鈥� says Rolly Read, conservation director of the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. He is describing Old Croghan Man, one of two immaculately preserved 鈥渂og bodies鈥� unveiled this week, both named after the sites where they were discovered.
The partial remains of the two men, both killed around 2300 years ago, have been preserved by the peat in which they were buried. Both were rich. Old Croghan Man, found minus his head and legs, had nails that were polished and well manicured, says Read, who conserved the bodies for display. The second body, Cloneycavan Man, lacks its lower torso and legs, but has a generous mop of hair, slicked up using what appears to be an Iron Age hair gel made from vegetable oil and a French or Spanish pine resin that would have been affordable only to the wealthy.
The researchers think the men were political opponents of the king. They were horrifically tortured before ritual sacrifice and burial. The pattern of wounds on Old Croghan Man show he raised an arm to defend himself from being stabbed in the lung. Cloneycavan Man was repeatedly beaten around the head, smashing open his skull. The bodies will be shown on UK television in a BBC Timewatch documentary on 20 January.
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