“We will be presenting the evidence and visitors will make up their own minds,” he said.

Mr Joy said that Lindow Man fascinated visitors because he is so well preserved.

“You can pick out his facial features and character, and it brings him to life. He is the face of pre-history.

“He provides a tangible link to his times and to an era when nothing was written down.

“He comes from 2,000 years ago but he is very much like us. It is just that he lived at a different time.”

Water held a special place in ancient cultures, with around 2,000 bog bodies having been recovered in Europe and valuable objects being placed in ponds and bogs as offerings.

The exhibition also features Iron Age objects such as a mirror made from polished bronze, hair-cutting shears and tweezers.

“It shows that people then were taking care about their appearance,” said Mr Joy.

He died aged 25

LINDOW Man was around 25 when he was killed.

He weighed about 10 stone and was between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall, with dark brown hair which has turned a ginger colour in the boggy conditions.

He was well groomed, with his moustache trimmed and his nails manicured.

His last meal was unleavened flat bread which had been overcooked.

He had parasitic worms, a common condition where no sanitation system is in place, and also had mild arthritis in the lower back.