„Bernie“ - Die Moorleiche von Bernuthsfeld

Die 1907 beim Torfstechen entdeckte bekleidete, aber skelettierte männliche Moorleiche aus dem Moor Hogehahn in Bernuthsfeld bei Tannenhausen, Kr. Aurich, wurde zunächst aus Angst vor Strafverfolgung erneut vergraben und war später wechselnden wissenschaftlichen Methoden und Zielen unterworfen. Seit 2011 wurde sie im Rahmen eines deutsch-niederländischen Ausstellungsprojektes erneut mit vielfältigen archäologischen, naturwissenschaftlichen und medizinischen Analysemethoden untersucht. Die resultierende Paläobiographie ergab, dass es sich um einen mindestens 1,60-1,70 großen rechtshändigen und rechtsfüßigen Mann mit normalem bis schlankem Körperbau handelte, der zwischen 660 und 770 n.Chr. im Alter von ca. 30-40 Jahren verstarb und im Laufe seines Lebens verschiedene Erkrankungen und Verletzungen erlitt. Er aß viel Süßwasserfisch und trug eine der vollständigst erhaltenen frühmittelalterlichen Kleiderausstattungen, bestehend aus einer knielangen Patchworktunika, einer Kapuze, einem Viereckstuch, einer als Mantel getragenen Fransendecke, zwei langen Wollbinden [Wickelgamaschen ?], weiteren Textilobjekten und Lederobjekten sowie einem Holzstock.

In 1907, a fully clothed, but skeletonised male bog body was found during peat cutting in Hogehahn Bog in Bernuthsfeld near Tannenhausen, distr. Aurich. Initially, the finders reburied the corpse for fear of criminal prosecution, later it was subjected to changing scientific methods and goals. Since 2011, the bog body has been reinvestigated in the context of a German-Dutch exhibition project with manifold modern archaeological, natural scientific, and medical methods of analysis. The resulting palaeobiography revealed that we are dealing with a right-handed and right-footed male at least 1.60-1.70 m tall and of a normal to slim constitution. He died in the years between A.D. 660 and 770 at an age of some 30-40 years and had suffered from various diseases and injuries during his lifetime. He had eaten a diet based on much freshwater fish and wore one of the most completely preserved Early Medieval costumes found to date. This consisted of a knee-length patchwork tunic, a hood, a square scarf, a fringed blanket worn as a cloak, two long woollen bandages [puttees ?], other textile and leather objects, and a wooden stick. In 1907, a fully clothed, but skeletonised male bog body was found during peat cutting in Hogehahn Bog in Bernuthsfeld near Tannenhausen, distr. Aurich. Initially, the finders reburied the corpse for fear of criminal prosecution, later it was subjected to changing scientific methods and goals. Since 2011, the bog body has been reinvestigated in the context of a German-Dutch exhibition project with manifold modern archaeological, natural scientific, and medical methods of analysis. The resulting palaeobiography revealed that we are dealing with a right-handed and right-footed male at least 1.60-1.70 m tall and of a normal to slim constitution. He died in the years between A.D. 660 and 770 at an age of some 30-40 years and had suffered from various diseases and injuries during his lifetime. He had eaten a diet based on much freshwater fish and wore one of the most completely preserved Early Medieval costumes found to date. This consisted of a knee-length patchwork tunic, a hood, a square scarf, a fringed blanket worn as a cloak, two long woollen bandages [puttees ?], other textile and leather objects, and a wooden stick.