Editing Lindow Man (section)

===Preservation of bog bodies===
The preservation of bog bodies is dependent on a set of specific physical conditions, which can occur in peat bogs. A sphagnum moss bog must have a temperature lower than 4&nbsp;°C at the time of deposition of the body. The subsequent average annual temperature must be lower than 10&nbsp;°C. Moisture must be stable in the bog year-round: it cannot dry out.<ref name="Distillations"/>

Sphagnum moss affects the chemistry of nearby water, which becomes highly acidic (a [[pH]] of roughly 3.3 to 4.5) relative to a more ordinary environment. The concentration of dissolved minerals also tends to be low. Dying moss forms layers of sediment and releases sugars and humic acids which consume oxygen. Since the surface of the water is covered by living moss, water becomes anaerobic. As a result, human tissues buried in the bog tend to tan rather than decay.<ref name="Distillations"/>