Tollundmanden 70 år

By horse-drawn carriage and train to the National Museum

Illustration Niels Bach

When Tollund Man was to be moved from the place where he had been resting peacefully for more than 2000 years, a big box was built around him in order to provide the best possible protection of the body after its discovery. It was the two brothers and people from the Silkeborg Museum along with a couple of policemen who carried out the excavation. First they carefully dug away the dirt at a good distance from the body, leaving Tollund Man resting on a square platform of peat. The next step in the excavation process was to place a big square box with no bottom around the platform. After that a bottom, consisting of single boards that were pushed through the soft peat one by one and attached to the sides of the box, was added. Finally the lid was put on the box. Tollund Man was now resting on a thick layer of peat in his box without having been touched by anyone during the excavation process. Finally they were able to carry the box, weighing close to half a ton, to solid ground holding Tollund Man and place it on horse-drawn carriage. The journey went along Femørevejen and down to the station in Moselund. From there Tollund Man was transported by train to the National Museum in Copenhagen where the actual excavation took place.