The Meenybradden Woman

 

On May 3, 1978 turf cutters in Meenybradden Bod near Ardara, Ireland would find the body of a woman. It was found that the remains were of historical means. Her body would be kept in Dublin's city morgue and stayed in a freezer where the body was damaged. In July 1985 the body would be shipped to the British Museum and examined further.

It's believed that the woman was around 25 to 30 years old and died 1050-1410 CE. It is unknown how she died, but she didn't die violently. She was buried about a meter deep into the bog. It was strange that she was wrapped in a cloak dated by textile typology to the 16 to 17th centuries. However, the cloak was not carbon-dated and it's possible that it was from around the time she died. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Mummipedia

Sarita

 

In September of 1996, the body of a teenage girl was found on the East face atop the 18,070 ft Andean peak in Sara Sara, Peru. She was discovered by Johan Reinhard, a senior researcher at Mountain Institute in West Virginia, and José Antonio Chavez, dean of archaeology at the Catholic University in Arequipa, Peru. It was found that the girl was a sacrifice 500 years ago for the Inca Gods including the sun moon and mountain. There was evidence that Sarita had been killed with a blow to the head. 

Sarita was a teenage girl around 14-years-old. She was slender and weighed 80 lbs at the time. She was healthy and her bones and teeth were strong. She had a well-balanced diet and had fasted the day before her death. 

She was found in the fetal position and placed on a platform along with three gold and silver statuettes and a small bundle of coca leaves, these were traditional offerings to the mountain gods. There were 7 more offerings with her, a seven-inch tall silver female statuette wrapped in textiles, one silver and gold male statuette, a female figurine, a llama carved out of spodylus shell, and on a nearby platform was one gold and one silver llama.

Because Sarita had been left on the sun-drenched east face of the mountain, her body had decomposed. Reinhard and his team moved the mummy to the snow-covered south face to freeze it before a 20-hour journey to the conservation laboratory at Catholic University, where Sarita will be preserved and eventually unwrapped.

SOURCES:
Archeology

PNAS

Crystal Links

Lovers of Cluj-Napoca

 

In 2013 a pair of skeletons known as the Lovers of Cluj-Napoca were uncovered by archeologists in a cemetery of a former Dominican convent in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The couple was buried facing each other and with their hands interlocked. It's believed that the two lived and died between 1450 to 1550 due to where they were located.

The couple was around 30-years-old. The male appears to have died from a fight or accident which left his sternum broken. This wound was possibly caused by a blow with a blunt instrument. It's also possible that he died from a broken hip instead. The cause of death for the female is unknown, but it could not have been suicide as she would not have been able to be buried in the consecrated ground if she had. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

The History Blog

The Huff Post April 22, 2013

SACRIFICES: Ñusta

  

Ñusta was found in Bolivia and was a child that was sacrificed in the later half of the 1400s. She was around 8-years-old and was believed to be an important person, or the daughter of someone elite as she was found in a chullpa on the Andes highlands near La Paz, Bolivia. Her tomb had various items like pouches, feathers, a clay jar, and some plants.

Ñusta was ethnically Aymara, a South American people where The Aymara Kingdom was between 1200 to 1438 until they were conquested by the Incas. When the Incas claimed them religious rituals and rights were overhauled and child sacrifice (Qhapaw hucha) was practiced. The children are often sacrificed after important events or disasters. The Chullpa she was found in was rare. It was likely she was an important person or the daughter of someone elite. 

SOURCES:

Mummipedia Wikia

Lansing State Journal

All That's Interesting

WKAR

Murder of Bocksten Man

In the 1880s a farm called Bocksten in Varberg Municipality, Sweden was created near a bog. The bog had been regularly drained and a harrow was used to gather peat by the owner Albert Johansson. A leather shoe was found in the wetland and donated to the Varberg County Museum, and later a shoe sole was also found in the bog.

On June 22, 1936, Albert's son Thur found a body while gathering peat. His harrow got caught on sackcloth. When Thur examined what he was hitting he saw parts of a skeleton. The next day Albert and Thur went and notified the police and doctor. It was then realized that the body was not recent and too old to be of investigation.

Johan Albert Sandklef, the director of Varberg County Museum, took over the body. He would invite others to help investigate the bog body that would eventually be called the Bocksten Man. They would measure and photograph the area before excavating.

The upper parts of the man passed through the harrow and were badly damaged. The lower parts stayed intact though. Though the body had been damaged his body is considered one of the best-preserved finds in Europe in that Era.

 It's believed he had been hit at the lower jaw, then the right ear, and then the lethal hit was towards the back of his head. He was then pushed to where he was found and impaled with three wooden poles used for roofing to the bottom of the bog. 

Bocksten Man's inner organs, parts of the lungs, liver, brain, and cartilage were preserved. It's believed that he's between 25 and 40 (more likely 35 to 40), but could be up to 60-years-old. He was 170 to 180 cm (5'7" to 5'11") tall with a slender build. His tunic was well-preserved, one of the best-preserved from that time. It was made of woollen fabric. He was wearing a gugel hood that was  90cm long and 2cm wide liripipe. He was wearing a shirt and a cloak and his legs were covered by hosiery. He had a fabric bag, foot coverings, leather shoes, a belt, a leather sheath and two knives. The sheath was 40mm wide and 62mm long, it was composed of 3 layers with a combined saltire and St. George's Cross carved on the outer layer. The inner laver had a similar pattern was carved, but with a pole added

The time he died was based on his clothing it's believed that he may have died between 1290 to 1430. His stature and items/clothing found with him makes it believed he was an upper class or a merchant.  It's also suggested that he was a tax collector or soldier recruiter. 

According to Albert Sandklef a local farmer, Karl Andersson, had heard of legend from when he was a child. His father was told bt two older people that a soldier recruiter was killed by local peasants. His body was put in the bog, but his ghost would haunt the area. So in order to stop it, poles were stuck into the body. Albert Sandklef asked other locals of this, but no one claimed to have heard of the story.

It's believed he had been hit at the lower jaw, then the right ear, and then the lethal hit was towards the back of his head. He was then pushed to where he was found and impaled with three wooden poles used for roofing to the bottom of the bog.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Mummipedia

Ancient Origins

Joan of Arc and her execution

15th Century miniature of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc who was also known as the Maid of Orléans was seen as a Military Leader, Heroine, and Martyr all before she was 19 years old.  

She was born in 1412 in Domrémy, Bar, France to poor tenant farmers. Joan grew up learning piety and domestic skills from her mother. Their home was also Joan never ventured far from home and was in charge of taking care of the animals. Joan also had a deep love for the Catholic Church. 

Joan was blessed with remarkable mental and physical courage. She was said to have had great common sense.  Joan eventually claimed to have extreme personal piety. She said she had direct communication with the saints. This was what allowed to make her the leader she became.

At the time she was born France was already fighting England in what was known as the 100 Year War. The war was over who would take over the French Throne. By the 15th century, Northern France was lawless and frontier for marauding armies. 

In 1415, King Henry V of England invaded northern France. England had gained support from Burgundians in France after they defeated French forces. 1420 a treaty called Treaty of Troyes, granted the French throne to Henry V and disinherited Charles of Valois.

Henry expected to inherit the throne after Charles IV's death. Both died months apart in 1422. This left Henry's infant son as ruler of both places. 

By 1422 England occupied northern France. Joan's village, like many others, were forced to leave their homes. In France, there were supporters for Charles's son to take the French Throne. Charles VII thought this was a good opportunity to do so. 

At 13 Joan had started to hear voices of Saints. She knew that she was given a task be God that was very important. She knew she had to save France by installing Charles as kind and kicking out their enemies. 

At 16 her father had tried to arrange her marriage. Joan stood in front of the court and fight the reason they weren't a match. She had convinced the court and won. 

In May of 1428, Joan made her way to Vaucouleurs. It was a nearby stronghold of those who were loyal to Charles and supported him. She was rejected by the local magistrate. Joan had attracted a small number of followers who believed she was to save France. They believed that a prophecy of a young Virgin saving France was of Joan. 

They eventually gave her a horse for her journey. Joan cropped her hair and dressed in men clothes. She made an 11-day journey across enemy territory to Chinon. It was where the crown prince's palace was and she was determined to help. 

Joan asked for an audience and announced she was to save France. Charles was unsure of what to think of her. She correctly identified him in disguise and spoke the future King Charles VII and won him over. She supposedly revealed to him only things God could have known and he believed her claims. No one knows what she revealed to him.

Joan promised him she would see him crowned king at Reims, and asked him for an army to lead to Orléans. Orléans was at the time under siege from England. Charles went against the advice given by his counselors and generals and granted Joan her army. 

In March of 1429, she set off to Orléans dressed in white armor and riding a white horse. Joan led several French assaults against them. This had caused the Anglo-Burgundians from the bastion and forced them to retreat across the Loire River. 

Charles did accept Joan's mission but didn't fully trust her judgment and advice. After her victory, she kept trying to hurry him to Reims to be crowned. He and his advisors were more cautious. However, Joan's reputation had spread far and wide among French forces. She and her followers escorted Charles across enemy territory into Reims. He was crowned Charles VII on July 18, 1429. Joan was by his side and occupying a visible place at the ceremonies. 

Joan tried to convince Charles that the French should press their advantage. That they should attempt to retake Paris. Charles wavered even though many warned him Joan was getting too powerful. 

In the spring of 1430, Joan was ordered to confront a Burgundian assault on Compiegne. In her effort to protect the town she was thrown from her horse. She was left outside the gates as they closed and was taken captive by the Burgundians. 

They took her to the castle of Bouvreuil, which was occupied by the English commander at Rouen. The Duke of Burgandy was ecstatic to have captured the girl of legend. In 1431 Joan went to trial under 70 charges that included witchcraft, dressing as a man and hearsay. 

The Burgundians were looking to get rid of Joan and discredit Charles. Charles, who owed her for getting him crowned, began to distance himself. He made no attempt to negotiate for Joan's freedom. She had even attempted to protect Charles by refusing to answer questions about him. 

Joan had spent a year in captivity by May 1431. She relentlessly signed a confession denying she never got messages from saints.  She defied the document days later by sporting men's clothes. This allowed them to announce her death sentence. 

On the morning on May 30th Joan was taken to the old marketplace of Rouen to be executed. There were estimated to have been around 10,000 people. Joan did not want to be burned to death. she would have preferred to have been beheaded. She was terrified and one guard noticed and gave her a small wooden cross. When she was tied to the stake and burned someone held up a cross for her to gaze at as she died. 

In the end, she claimed that the voices were real. That they were divine and had allowed her to save France and crown Charles as king. As Joan burned she called out to her three favorite saints and before she lost consciousness she screamed for Jesus. 

The 100-Year War lasted for 22 more years. Charles VII kept his crown and in 1456 he had Joan of Arc declared innocent of all charges and a martyr On May 16, 1920, she was canonized as the Patron Saint of France. 

SOURCES:
History
Britannica
Biography
National Geographic
Spark Notes