Abstract

Bog bodies contain a wealth of information and when treated with respect and sensitivity present an opportunity for scholars and the public to come ‘face to face’ with our past. Eight bog bodies have been discovered in Ireland in the past 20 years and the conservation of three of these is described in this article. Past conservation techniques and their results were assessed to best plan the treatment for the bodies, with the conservation method selected being freeze-drying using poly-ethylene-glycol (PEG). This technique has limitations due to the final visual appearance after treatment of bodies which exhibit well preserved soft tissue. The results of the treatment were consistent with this expectation and have prompted a recommendation for further research into new techniques for conservation before any further treatment of bog bodies is undertaken at the museum.

摘要

沼泽尸体包含大量信息，当受到尊重和敏感对待时，为学者和公众提供了一个与我们的过去“面对面”面对面的机会。在过去的 20 年里，在爱尔兰发现了八具沼泽尸体，本文描述了其中三具的保护措施。对过去的保护技术及其结果进行了评估，以最好地计划对尸体的处理，选择的保护方法是使用聚乙二醇 (PEG) 冷冻干燥。由于在处理显示出保存完好的软组织的身体后的最终视觉外观，该技术具有局限性。