Examinations of the Tollund Man

Endoscopic examination. Big picture

Shortly after the discovery the Tollund Man was excavated and examined at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. The examination was done with the same kind of care and accuracy as if he had been the victim of a murder. The criminal investigation department as well as forensic examiners and other experts were involved in the examination.

Over the years the old gentleman has undergone a number of examinations: Autopsy and X-ray examination done by the forensic examiners at Bispebjerg Hospital, finger-print examination done by the police, several carbon-14 datings and last but not least a CT-scanning at Aarhus district general hospital. More than 16,000 X-rays were taken of the Tollund Man using the latest techniques in CT-scanning, and 15 scientists are currently studying the latest examinations.

The Tollund Man has been digitalized Big picture

Together these examinations provide us with fantastic insight into the Tollund Man's life and death, as well as how life was for his contemporaries more than 2,000 years ago.

However, it hasn't been possible to do any DNA-analyses of the Tollund Man because there are thought to be no more molecules left in the cellular tissue. However, we can't rule out that some time in the future it will be possible to complete DNA-analyses of the Tollund Man.

Since the Tollund Man's body wasn't preserved, the unpreserved bones and the dried-out soft parts will provide the scientists (for example doctors, biologists and archaeologists) with the oppportunity to carry out new examinations of the Tollund Man in the future. It will probably be possible to examine his blood type, his genes and other things in the coming years.

Only our imagination will set the limits to what future examinations will be able to tell us about the Tollund Man and his fate.