Ireland worker finds ancient Psalms in bog

[Nick]

Wow. VERY interesting. I studied a bit of theology a few years ago. Always been of interest to me. I hope it turns out to be real as well. It does unfortunately seem a bit unlikely that it would survive that long in a bog of all places.

Without knowing more about the bog itself it's had to be certain, but look at the Bocksten Bog Man. Granted, he died in the 14th century, and this may be from the 9th-11th, but sometimes soil composition can aid in preservation.

If this is real, I can't wait to see what's inside. As a medievalist, this is the sort of thing I live for.

Pax,
Nick

[GMan]

This whole find is very fantastic. To delve into the past is such an awesome thing.

[Ruanaidh]

A truly remarkable find. One wonders what else is concealed in those ancient bogs.

[RockyR]

A truly remarkable find. One wonders what else is concealed in those ancient bogs.

Bogs are to ancient treasures what couch cushions are to change!

[Pour1Malt]

a book in a bog for hundreds o years?

yeah, richt!



:rolleyes:

[macwilkin]

This thread reminds me of the Steamboat Arabia. For those who might not be familiar with the story of the Arabia, in 1856, the steamboat hit a snag in the Missouri River and sunk with a full cargo (222 tons). Over the years, the river changed course, the wreck of the Arabia lay buried in a corn field. The mud actually preserved the cargo of the steamboat -- pickled food that will still edible, perfume (which has been reproduced), weapons, clothing, hardware & tools -- you name it.

The Arabia's story is now told in an excellent museum in Kansas City, and it is literaly a treasure-trove to reenactors/living historians of the Middle 19th century:

www.1856.com

I highly recommend it!

Of course, another example of soil preserving an artifact is the "Ulster" tartan, which was found in 1956:

On 28 April 1956, the Coleraine Chronicle reported the discovery by a farm labourer of ragged clothing dug out of an earth bank on the farm of Mr William Dixon, in the townland of Flanders, near Dungiven, County Londonderry.
The find consisted of a woollen jacket or jerkin, a small portion of a mantle or cloak, trews or tartan trousers, and leather brogues. This was the style of clothing worn by men in those parts in the 16th or early 17th century.
Archaeologists from the Ulster Museum were invited to analyse the discovery. A block of peat containing fragments of the clothing was examined by Mr A G Smith of the Department of Botany at Queen’s University, revealing a high concentration of pine pollen. Scots pine had been introduced into Ireland in the 1600s. The likelihood was that the tartan cloth was at least that old.

Peaty loam destroys flesh and bone while preserving fabrics like wool and leather. No body was found, though it is possible that the site marked a grave.
Audrey Henshall from Edinburgh’s National Museum of Antiquities examined the woollen cloth, which had been well preserved. Its reddish brown staining was due to its being buried for hundreds of years in peat.

-- http://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/tartanandkilts.asp

Regards,

Todd

[Southern Breeze]

I'm not meaning to get off-topic but the Arabia was the first thing I thought of also. I've visited the museum twice and still don't think I've seen everything.

There have also been bodies found preserved in peat bogs. Some of these have, I think been dated back to the Iron Age.

[macwilkin]

I'm not meaning to get off-topic but the Arabia was the first thing I thought of also. I've visited the museum twice and still don't think I've seen everything.

There have also been bodies found preserved in peat bogs. Some of these have, I think been dated back to the Iron Age.

Well, we are in the "off-topic" section after all... :mrgreen:

I never get tired of visiting the Arabia -- I always see something I hadn't before. And to top it off, there is a great brew-pub only a short walk away from the museum!

T.

[jjoseph]

Without knowing more about the bog itself it's had to be certain, but look at the Bocksten Bog Man. Granted, he died in the 14th century, and this may be from the 9th-11th, but sometimes soil composition can aid in preservation.

Bogs, like caves, can preserve items because the environment is constant -- no temperature, pressure, light, humidity changes. Peat is, after all, buried and compressed partially decomposed plant material which microbes cannot continue actively decomposing because there's nowhere for the waste to go; no water or gases are circulating. ...So once something buried in a bog has decomposed so far, things come to a halt and pretty much just stay there. Once disturbed though, an item may decompose at an amazing rate: hours or days.

[Mattg]

That's great! Thanks for posting it! But how the heck did a guy in a back hoe see that little book?!? Guess it was meant to be found