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Humanity on DisplayMain MenuIntroductionMeet CarolThe Old Croghan ManNAGPRAThe Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation ActAcknowledgements and ReferencesPaige Harris04ccc7a45284ab6d401e9f51ea973d628632a7db
Red hair
12022-03-28T16:01:45-07:00Paige Harris04ccc7a45284ab6d401e9f51ea973d628632a7db399352A human skull with bright red hair. A portion of the hair is braided elaborately near the crown of the skull.plain2022-03-28T16:03:31-07:00Paige Harris04ccc7a45284ab6d401e9f51ea973d628632a7db
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12022-03-02T13:27:35-08:00What does his skin feel like?4plain2022-04-17T14:38:32-07:00The acidic conditions of the bog tan skin to the dark brown-black color you see here. It can also dye human hair a startling shade of red, although of course in the Old Croghan Man’s case there is no hair to be observed. As peat moss dies, it leaches calcium out of bones, leaving the skin without a supportive internal structure and creating a “wrinkly” appearance. When bodies are first removed from a bog, they are waterlogged which makes them pliable and soft but not elastic, similar to the feel of wet leather. Removing them from the bog, however, results in the drainage or evaporation of the water, which over time can create a shrunken appearance that emphasizes the wrinkles in the skin. Museums preserve these bodies for display via freeze-drying, rendering the skin dry and hard. That is the texture that can be seen on the Old Croghan Man, as well as on other bog bodies.
