this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2024
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Science Memes

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This is at Jorvik Viking Center. (mander.xyz)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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At the end of the Smell-o-Vision ride. 10|10 awesome museum.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Is 1200 years long enough it would be sterile? Like, no original bacteria or parasites?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

This is my bread and butter. Peat is anoxic. It's great for preservation and you get tonnes of stuff that doesn't preserve elsewhere. Google "Must Farm, UK" I'm an archaeologist that does environmental work in these kinds of environments. Peat preserves eyelashes on bog bodies, it's nuts. Dissolves other stuff though due to the acids. I've got a diagram somewhere give me a bit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Well the human gut is anoxic too, so that shouldn't be a problem for the gut-bacteria in that log and in the bog mummies. I think it way more likely that the sphagnan and the other tannins in peat-bog-water conserved this as well as the bog bodies.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

It's the eggs you count for parasites. I do this for a living, my friend. I posted a diagram. Soft bodied insects don't preserve well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That is extremely cool and I don't doubt your expertise in the slightest. Was only commenting about that anoxic conditions alone wouldn't necessarily preserve the bog mummies, but that the acidic conditions and tannins are likely more important.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Ah yes, I got confused for a minute. The lack of oxygen is the most important for preservation in general, but specifically for skin etc., the acid and tannins keep that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Bog bodies are dope as hell.