Several decades ago, when the body of a teenage girl was discovered in a bog in Germany, scholars initially believed, based on previous findings of bog bodies, that she had met with a violent end. She appeared to have been blindfolded, and half of her head had been shaved.
However, further examination of the Windeby Girl’s body revealed no signs of trauma. Evidence from her skeleton suggested that she may have succumbed to illness or malnutrition over time. The woolen band found around her eyes likely slipped down due to the body’s natural shrinkage after death, and it was probably originally used to hold back her hair or cover her eyes post-mortem. The apparent “half-shaved” hair was likely a result of decay, possibly due to differential exposure to oxygen or damage during excavation.
Interestingly, recent findings have suggested that this individual might actually have been a young man.
