| Gunnister Man Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Gunnister Man |
| Age | Dated back to late 17th and early 18th century |
| Sex | Male |
| Status | Unknown |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Unknown, but possibly from a foreign country |
| Date(s) | Found in May 12th, 1951 |
| Site | peat bog not far from the junction of the A970 road |
| Current Location | |
| Location | National Museums of Scotland |
| Catalog # | |
Gunnister Man was discovered in Shetland in 1951, by two peat cutters. The remains are believed to date from late 17th or early 18th century. “Scarcely anything of the body was left—some curly dark brown hair, with no trace of grey; portions of the skull; some finger and toe nails; and very decayed fragments of bone in each sleeve and in one stocking.”(Henshall and Maxwell, 1951-52)
Mummification[]
The natural chemical reactions of the peat bog served to preserve. The hat and gloves still contained his hair and fingernails.
Studies[]
The knitted purse found with the body, is believed to be the earliest example of two-color knitting in Shetland. It contained one Swedish (dated 1683) and two Dutch coins (from 1681 and 1690), probably putting him about the last decade of the 17th century or the first decade of the 18th century. It also held silk ribbon.
His clothing is one of the few complete outfits found in Britain belonging to an ‘ordinary’ person from this period. His purse features the earliest physical example of ‘Fair Isle’ knitting in Shetland, and the two tablets of wood found with him are of a unique design.
He carried a horn spoon and a wooden handled knife with an iron blade. He wore hide shoes over his heavily-patched socks
Pathology[]
His remains suggests that he died in winter time, possibly of exposure or illness. Evidence suggest a natural death in situ, where he was eventually buried.
Additional[]
All objects in the original findings are in the collection in National Museums of Scotland. These objects includes stockings, purses, gloves, leather belt, knife handle, a quill, and open-work knitting.