Lindow Man

An incredible find took place on the 1st of August 1984 when a Peat Cutter working at a place called Lindow Moss at Wilmslow in Cheshire came across what he initially thought was a lump of wood but on closer inspection turned out to be a human leg. What this Peat Cutter had unearthed was the preserved remains of a man who was walking the earth at the same time that Christ would have been alive!

It seems ironic that this well manicured and well fed man should become a celebrity when only a stones throw away from where he was found many of todays celebrities can also be found, which include Manchester United players, Soap Stars etc!

It also seems ironic that Lindow Man is travelling further now that he is dead than when he was alive, having been on loan at the Manchester Natural History Museum and then travelling back to the British Museum in London, not under his own steam I hasten to add! However back when he was alive I am sure that the London traffic would have been moving at a faster pace than it does these days!

Lindow Moss close to where the body was found.

It is believed that Lindow Man would have been around 25 years old at the time of his death, his hair was cut short but it was longer at the nape of his neck, as to the cause of his death it has been speculated that he had been ritually killed as he had been struck over the head and then strangled with a cord. When Lindow Man died 2000 years ago, London (Londinium) had not long been established, Christianity was slowly being established in the Roman Empire, the Polynesians were colonizing the Pacific, the Huns were invading Europe and the first Jewish revolt was taking place along with the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple.

The photograph below shows Wayne and Colleen Rooney having just visited the MacDonald’s in Wilmslow which is only about half a mile from where Lindow Man was discovered. I wonder whether they will be remembered in 2000 years time the way that Lindow Man has been, I guess only time will tell.