[Rumil]

It seems fairly conclusive from the texts that the 'bodies' in the Dead Marshes were illusionary. However, it certainly is possible to preserve bodies in bogs, as various ancient corpses have been discovered to be very well preserved in these acidic, low-oxygen waters around northern Europe. They survive from the late iron age, so 2000+ years ago. The skin and flesh is turned into a leathery substance and organic artefacts such as clothes and wooden tools are found. In one case, the archaeologists even discovered the rope which had been used to strangle the poor victim, who was subsequently, somewhat callously perhaps, known as Pete Marsh!