[1][2] The Bradford team deduced that the man was a high status individual, not unlike a tribal chieftain judging by his height of six feet.

There was a bronze dagger, a bark vessel that was sealed in some way, flint tools, hair from the hide and a wicker basket containing food residue.

The bones were discoloured by the reaction of iron in the water with the tannin in the bark of the coffin and the skeleton was originally preserved by boiling it in glue in a laundry copper.

Scanning electron microscopy detected traces of animal collagen on the blade, confirming the former presence of a scabbard or sheath.

Radiocarbon dating of the tooth dentine and thigh bone undertaken at Bradford University has shown that he died around 4000 years ago.

[5][6] Dr Alan Ogden, an osteologist at Bradford University, has completed what is thought to be a first in forensic archaeology by reconstructing Gristhorpe Man’s face and making him ‘talk’ using computer software.

The researchers found that he had a brain tumour growing on the left side of his skull which may well have led to him suddenly collapsing and possibly epilepsy.

325 2010) and a book of the full project and scientific analyses undertaken "Gristhorpe Man: a life and death in the Bronze Age" edited by Nigel Melton, Janet Montgomery and Christopher Knüsel was published in 2014.