Ötzi, the Ice Mummy

Ice has been known to preserve organisms for quite some time. There are several examples of animals and plants pulled from the ice, and there is an entire science dedicated to this glacial archeology. However, human bodies preserved under ice are pretty rare. This is why Ötzi was such a worldwide sensation when he was discovered in the Tyrolean Alps in 1991. It was unclear how long he had been frozen in time when he was found. His discovery made more people wonder how this “ice mummies” phenomenon is possible.

Initially, scientists discovered that several conditions must be in place for "ice mummies" to form. The first significant condition is that the bodies must be in ice that does not move under an ice shelf or sheet of ice. Glaciers and the earth move, so this requirement is more complicated to overcome than it seems. As the sheets of ice move, parts of the ice can thaw or get exposed to oxygen, which causes deterioration to occur. Additionally, the bodies would have to go through a two-step freezing process of being freeze-dried near the surface before the big deep freeze underground. As you can see, all of these events happening in just the right way are not very likely.

The term "ice mummy" is actually a misnomer. Mummification is often a ritual that involves embalming or drying bodies for preservation. Ice mummies are not mummified; they are instead frozen. If these bodies are frozen in permafrost ice that contains peat, then there is an even better chance of finding bodies that are well preserved. Permafrost-peat ice can preserve dead bodies with remarkable detail. Bodies of whalers and fishers have been found in the Arctic with their clothing still brightly colored and intact. Essentially, permafrost-peat ice seals off the organism from the oxygen, slowing down decomposition. You can almost find it in the same state that it was in when it became entombed there. Lastly, permafrost-peat ice does not move, which increases the chances that the specimen will not get exposed to oxygen.

There is the likelihood that we may come across more of these ice mummies in the future. The permafrost is thawing in the Arctic because of changing global temperatures. People are mining for fossils and fossil fuels to heat homes and for economic gain. Without these activities, permafrost ice mummies would remain frozen in time forever unless there were cycles of thawing and freezing, which could disturb the area and cause these bodies to move. Suppose the bodies move to the surface and begin to thaw because the permafrost layer has thawed. In that case, these bodies will get exposed to oxygen and decay. As the earth changes, more of these ice mummies could be found or completely lost forever.

Bodies from the Bog

Peat bogs are fascinating ecosystems that have been caused by many, many years of plants buried under organic matter, soil, and water. These peat bogs are in cold places that were once lakes that no longer have water that moves through the area. The plants and organic matter settle and remain there, frozen in time for generations. Over time, mosses, especially sphagnum, cover the area, further changing the environment.

Bog bodies are bodies that have been naturally mummified in a peat bog. Sphagnum moss has unique properties that contribute to this organic matter being preserved. Leaves, stems, sticks, and dirt trapped under the moss get cut off from the air, and oxygen is kept out. Also, sphagnum moss makes the area more acidic, making the environment uninhabitable to decomposers like fungus, insects, bacteria, and anaerobic conditions. Therefore instead of the plants and peat debris breaking down, it remains preserved in the environment. As bodies, animals, tools, etc., find their way into the bog, they take many years to break down, just like the peat.

As an alternative to firewood, it is widespread in peatlands for people to dig up the peat to heat their homes as a fuel source. Some people have used peat to cook with and have even created small amounts of electricity with peat as a fossil fuel.

In 1950, while people dug for peat in a Denmark bog, the Tollund Man was accidentally discovered. The Tollund Man is a 2,300-year-old body that was so well preserved that one could see the wrinkles in his skin. He was so well preserved that the community initially believed him to be a recent victim until further testing and his true origins became clear. Another interesting note was that because of the sphagnum moss, his skin turned leathery, and his hair was dyed red, which are characteristics that have been found in other bog bodies. Due to the environmental conditions in the peat bog, other bog bodies often have skin and organs intact. However, their bones have gone soft or melted away because they are made of different components.

Denmark was not the only place where bog bodies have been found. This phenomenon of "bog bodies" has been found in peat bogs in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, among others.