HUMAN bodies have been preserved in peat bogs – retaining their internal organs and even their SKIN.

Hauntingly, experts believe that some of the corpses could be people who were sacrificed and executed during the Iron Age, before being thrown into the marshy land.

The mummified bodies have survived for thousands of years, and have been uncovered in Denmark over the past decades.

But where did they come from and how have they been preserved?

Scientists that have dug up the remains can determine some spookily accurate information about the mysterious bog bodies.

They study the corpses’ teeth to find out the age of death, and they can even look at skin tissue to estimate what the figures’ last meals were.

Research has suggested that some of the people dumped into the bogs may have suffered violent deaths.

Many are found without clothing, which suggests that they may have been killed and deposited.

Some archaeologists believe that the bodies were placed into the marshland after criminals were executed.

Gruesomely, bodies have been found that have died from stabbing, hanging, strangulation and even by being beheaded.

In one grisly case, the corpse of the Tollund Man was found with the rope used to kill him still pulled around his neck.

Others believe that settlements sacrificed some of their villagers as a part of an ancient ritual, as gold and bronze offerings have also been found in the bogs.

While the majority of ancient human remains perish over time, the unique conditions of peat bogs prevent the matter from decaying.

In the depths of the bogs, the temperatures are low and there are bodies of acidic water.

As oxygen doesn’t penetrate the bodies that have been lost in the marshy ground, they remain well preserved.

Although the acidic conditions cause calcium in the bones to rot, the skin and organs are unaffected in the majority of bog cases.