The “ice man” was well equipped for the cold. According to an analysis of the composition of the garments worn by the Copper Age mummy discovered in September 1991 in the Italian Alps, researchers from the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman (Bolzano, Italy) and the University of Dublin (Ireland ) have concluded that at the time of his death he had a bearskin hat, a sheath of roe deer arrows and a goatskin coat , among other pieces.
More than 5,000 years ago, Ötzi walked through the Italian Alps dressed in costumes made from the skins of at least five different species of animals , including the roe deer or the brown bear. Scientists have come to this conclusion after sequencing the mitochondrial genomes of nine fragments of the leather of their clothing.
Two German mountaineers were the discoverers of a mysterious corpse found at 3,200 meters of altitude. It was September 19, 1991. 27 years ago. After ruling out that it was a modern mountaineer, the remains turned out to belong to a natural mummy with an age of 5,300 years and quite well preserved thanks to the ice.
Since its discovery, the oldest wet mummy in the world has been subjected to all kinds of analyzes that have provided us with information about its diet, its lifestyle and health, its ancestry, its tools … and now we know the origin of his clothing, which shows that Ötzi, initially associated with an agropastoral activity, was dedicated to hunting and capturing wild animals. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
In 2018, a team of researchers published a detailed analysis in the journal PloS One of the tools discovered alongside Otzi’s body. A dagger, two arrowheads, a scraper … Through analysis the experts determined that Otzi did not have access to many materials, so most of his tools wore out and re-sharpened over time rather than being replaced.
The style and materials used to make his tools come from at least three different areas in the Southalpine region and reflect the Horgen culture of northern Italy and Switzerland, showing that he interacted with other transalpine people.
His last meal gave away the time of year he died
Did you know? Due to the incredible preservative properties of ice, the researchers were able to analyze a portion of Otzi’s stomach and lower intestine to reveal the last meals he ate before his death. About eight hours before his sad end, they discovered that he had eaten a surprising high-fat diet that included ibex, deer, and toxic ferns.
The mixing of these foods was also an important clue as to the time of year that Otzi perished. Scientists had long theorized that he had been caught in a summer storm in the mountains, but the discovery of pollen from the hop tree changed everything. The species, which probably grew in the valley below Otzi’s final resting place, only blooms between March and June.
