Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Ireland Dublin Kingship and Sacrifice

Kingship and Sacrifice

This permanent collection of preserved bodies taken from Irish bogs is one of the leading authorities on such morbid mummies.

Dublin, Ireland

Added By
Chris Staring
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
A bog body.   Kerry Wolfe / Atlas Obscura User
Kingship and Sacrifice   SkareMedia / Atlas Obscura User
Kingship and Sacrifice   SkareMedia / Atlas Obscura User
Kingship and Sacrifice   SkareMedia / Atlas Obscura User
National Museum of Ireland: Archaeology   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
  Aika / Atlas Obscura User
  Aika / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located within the National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology, the permanent exhibition known as Kingship and Sacrifice is a grim collection of withered human sacrifices who were preserved by the natural peat in which they were buried, including the Cashel Man, the oldest bog body ever found that still had flesh on its bones.

Starting in 2003, a research project known as the Bog Bodies Research Project was started at the museum, which brought a number of local corpses to the center that had been preserved for thousands of years. Ritual human sacrifice in ancient Ireland was not an uncommon practice, but the disposal of the victims often led to the remarkable preservation of their remains thanks to the unique earthen properties of peat. The bodies, despite being thousands of years old, still have blackened flesh clinging to their bones. 

The identity of the sacrificial victims remains unknown, but various hypotheses exist, including that they were deposed kings or shamans, simple commoners offered to appease the gods and guarantee harvests, and even "outsiders" such as adulterers and thieves who had broken taboos. 

In addition to the remarkable bodies dredged up from the muck, regalia and jewelry were found near the bodies, indicating the possibly exalted positions the sacrifices likely held, hence the name of the exhibition. Mummified bog bodies can be found all across the globe, but the blacked bodices on display are some of the only ones that are on actual public display.

Related Tags

Bog Bodies Museums Museums And Collections Mummies

Know Before You Go

It's inside the National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology on Kildare Street, next to the National Library of Ireland. It's 550 meters from the Trinity College entrance and 200 meters northward from the St Stephen's Green. Free entrance.

Community Contributors

Added By

SkareMedia

Edited By

hmhmurphy, Mom0ja, kajakalas, Monsieur Mictlan...

  • hmhmurphy
  • Mom0ja
  • kajakalas
  • Monsieur Mictlan
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Aika

Published

August 10, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashel_Man
Kingship and Sacrifice
33-35 R138
Dublin
Ireland
53.340414, -6.25485
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ancient Bog Butter

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Freemasons' Hall

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

The Irish Elk Collection

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dublin

Dublin

Ireland

Places 47
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Ancient Bog Butter

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Freemasons' Hall

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

The Irish Elk Collection

Dublin, Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dublin

Dublin

Ireland

Places 47
Stories 5

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate Guide to Scattered Body Parts

List

By Michelle Cassidy

Related Places

  • Archaeological Museum Benahoarita.

    La Palma, Spain

    Museo Arqueológico Benahoarita (Archaeological Museum Benahoarita)

    Tools, pottery, and mummies showcase the history of La Palma's native people.

  • The two mummies at the Albany Institute of History and Art.

    Albany, New York

    The Mummy Ankhefenmut

    A CT scan revealed the identity of this 3,000-year-old mummy that everyone erroneously thought was female.

  • Maidstone’s Mummy, Ta-Kush, is 2,700 years old. All photos by Alan Tigwell.

    Maidstone, England

    Maidstone Mummy

    This 2,700-year-old woman is the jewel of the Maidstone Museum's Egyptian collection.

  • Hull, England

    The Hull Mermaid

    This mummified mermaid corpse is an aquatic curio that was eventually revealed to be a fake.

  • The Carnegie Library portion of the museum

    Guthrie, Oklahoma

    Oklahoma Territorial Museum & The Carnegie Library

    Home to the story of the outlaw turned funhouse mummy, Elmer McCurdy.

  • Schleswig, Germany

    The Bog Bodies at the Schleswig-Holstein Landesmuseum

    Ample proof that watery ends make for well-preserved, millenia-old mummies.

  • Grauballe Man.

    Højbjerg, Denmark

    Grauballe Man

    Preserved "bog person" that is over 2,000 years old.

  • Tollund Man

    Silkeborg, Denmark

    Tollund Man

    Iron Age "bog person" preserved for over 2,300 years.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.