On 19 September 1991 a couple from Heidelberg, Germany, were hiking high in the Tirolean Alps when they spotted what turned out to be a desiccated, yellow-brown human body lying at an altitude of more than 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) by the Similaun glacier in the Ötztaler Alps. At first believed to be one of the modern corpses that occasionally come to light in these mountains, the Iceman, Similaun Man, or "Ötzi," as the body was nicknamed, proved to be the oldest fully preserved human that has so far come down from prehistory.
Bahn, 2004.
Ötzi the Iceman. [Image]. In Encyclopædia Britannica.
For centuries, scientists have puzzled over the mystery of human migration around the planet. Now the stomach bacteria of a prehistoric hunter known as Otzi the Iceman is providing clues.
Scholastic, 2016.
He hasn't talked for 53 centuries, but Otzi the Iceman may be about to break his silence. Italian researchers in the northern city of Bolzano are working to recreate the 5,300-year-old man's voice.
CNN, 2016.
The most important item of the Iceman’s equipment is his copper-bladed axe.
Archaeological experiments have shown that the copper axe was an ideal tool for felling trees and could fell a yew tree in 35 minutes without sharpening.
The axe was therefore not just a symbol of rank. In the period around 3000 years BC, copper axes were a status symbol and must have been cherished as weapons. Perhaps the Iceman was therefore a tribal leader or warrior.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
The 13 cm-long dagger consists of a small triangular flint blade and an ash wood handle.
The blade was inserted deep into the wooden handle and bound with animal sinews. A string was attached to a notch at the end of the handle.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
The Iceman carried a 1.82 m-long bow stave on his journey. When he arrived at the gully, he evidently leaned it against a rock, where it was found still upright thousands of years later. Trials with reconstructed bows of this type have shown that wild animals can easily be taken down with considerable accuracy from a distance of 30–50 m.
Close examination of the bow stave revealed that it was covered in blood. When dry, blood acts as a water repellent.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
Before he died, the Iceman carefully placed his quiver on a stone slab.
The rectangular, elongated hide bag was made of chamois hide. It is stitched together along its length and the lower narrow end and is supported along its length by a 92 cm-long hazel wood rod. This supporting strut had already been broken in three during Ötzi’s lifetime. He was even carrying one of the pieces. The lid and carrying strap were missing. The side pocket was elaborately decorated with leather strips.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
Researchers were astonished when, upon opening the quiver, they found only two finished arrows along with a dozen rough arrow shafts.
According to technical archaeologist Harm Paulsen, the two arrows could not have been fashioned by the same person. The fletching shows that one was wound by a left-hander and the other by a right-hander. Furthermore, the arrow with the extended tip was too long for the Iceman’s quiver.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
The roughly meshed net made of tree-bast string was probably used for catching birds and rabbits.
The use of nets in prehistoric times is recorded on bronze receptacles from the Late Iron Age. Rabbits would be driven into the net before being clubbed to death.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
The Iceman also carried a modest first-aid kit.
His implements included two hide strips, on to each of which a round lump of material had been threaded. The strips were attached to Ötzi’s clothing. Analysis showed that these lumps consisted of the fruiting body of the birch polypore fungus. Right up until the 20th century such bracket fungi were used for many medicinal purposes.
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, 2013.
Rating: PG Duration: 50:13
Description: In September 1991, two walkers stumbled on a corpse frozen in the ice, high in the Austrian Alps. It became a scientific sensation - the frozen mummy of a man who lived over 5,000 years ago.
Rating: Unrated Production Year: 2013 Duration: 51:24
Description: Scientists examine the preserved corpse of 'Otzi', a Neolithic man found frozen in a glacier in the Alps in 1991. They hope their autopsy will teach them more about life thousands of years ago - but only have eight hours to carry out their analysis before the body must be returned to storage to prevent decomposition. (From the US) (Documentary) CC.
Rating: Unrated Duration: 48:30
Description: In September 1991 two hikers made a sensational discovery - a frozen body high in the mountains, near the border between Austria and Italy. It turned out to be 5,300 years old, the oldest frozen mummy ever found. Named Otzi the Iceman after the Otztal area where he was found, he became a worldwide sensation. The body was taken to Austria where scientists soon got to work on him. They analysed his bone density to find out how old he was (in his 40s, an advanced age for the time) and examined his wonderfully preserved belongings. The cause of his death remained a mystery. Now archaeologists are being joined by forensic scientists to investigate this unique case and new research has revealed a shocking answer.
