The Clonycavan Man is a mummified body of a man, which was found in a peat bog at Clonycavan in County Meath. Discovered in 2003 by a farmer who was turning over his field, this mummy is one of the most remarkable in the country! It has since been exhibited at the National Museum in Dublin.
Naturally embalmed by the peat bog, the mummified body of the Clonycavan Man consists essentially of a bust, arms and head. Although partially damaged by the tractor that discovered it (the arms were half severed), the body is in remarkable condition. According to the researchers, he was the victim of a violent death: he received 3 axe blows to the head, and suffered a large gash in the stomach. Theories abound, but many point to a sacrificial rite to explain this violent death.
Carbon-14 dating indicates that the body was dumped in the bog between 392 and 201 BC. At that time, the man was 1.57m tall, and appeared to belong to the wealthier classes of society at the time.
But the Clonycavan Man is a real eye-catcher, because of the man’s hairstyle. These hairs would have been covered with a hair gel made from pine resin and vegetable oil, to be shaped like an Iroquois crest. A first, never before seen on other mummies! What’s more, the hair gel used could not have been made in Ireland: it would have been an imported product from Spain or France! Yet another mystery that fascinates and obsesses researchers!
Mark Healey - 
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