Scientists solve the mystery of the smile of a man who was hanged 2,400 years ago

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A team of scientists discovered the body of a "Tollund man" in a swamp in Denmark 71 years ago, so well preserved in mud that they believed he was the victim of a recent murder.

After years of research, archaeologists discovered that he was dumped in the swamp nearly 2,400 years ago, and that he was hanged with a leather rope that was still around his neck. The exact arrangement of the body and face, of closed eyes and a faint smile, suggests that he may have been killed as a human sacrifice, rather than executed as a criminal.

In the course of the investigation, the suggestion that the Tollund Man was killed as a human sacrifice is now reinforced by the study of his last meal, and by detailed research of the contents of his digestive system, which included gruel of barley, flax and mare.

Archaeologist Nina Nielsen, head of research at the Danish Museum Silkeborg and lead author of the study, explained that the mare's seeds are evidence of the Iron Age murder mystery.

According to the information, the plant grows wild among barley crops, but evidence from the storage of grain in the Iron Age shows that it was usually cleaned and used as part of ritual meals.

 Nielsen reported that they also discovered that he had been suffering from various parasitic infections before his death, including tapeworms, possibly due to a regular diet of undercooked meat and contaminated water.

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