Date: 27/06/2022 Shift: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Q. No: 79

Ötzi the Iceman is the well-preserved, 5,300-year-old mummy that caused an international sensation when it was dug out of a glacier high in the Italian Alps in 1991. “He is so important because, for the first time, we have the possibility of knowing a Copper Age individual who died in the same situation as he had lived,” said Katharina Hersel, a spokesperson for the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy, where Ötzi is housed.
Since his discovery, Ötzi has undergone extensive scientific analyses, which have broadened our understanding of what Ötzi’s life was like and how he died, as well as revealed more about the time period in which he lived.
The initial analyses focused on the Iceman’s physical characteristics. Ötzi would have stood about 5 feet, 3 inches (1.60 m) tall and weighed around 110 pounds (50 kilograms). From the low levels of subcutaneous fat on his body, researchers concluded that Ötzi had a lean, wiry build. An analysis of the osteons (microscopic structures in bone that are frequently used to determine the age of a skeleton) indicated that he was in his 40s when he died.
“Ötzi was fit but not completely healthy,” said Hersel. Analyses demonstrated that he suffered from several ailments, including Lyme disease and intestinal parasites. Microscopic analysis of his stomach found evidence of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes stomach ulcers and gastritis. He also has extensive wear on his teeth, and his joints — especially his hips, shoulder, knees and spine — showed signs of significant wear and tear, suggesting he suffered from arthritis. Moreover, his lungs were coated with soot, indicating that he likely spent a lot of time around open fires during his life.
Detailed analyses of Ötzi’s artifacts have also revealed much about the ancient man’s life and times. Scattered bits of leather, plant fiber, animal hide, string, his ax and an unfinished bow were found near him when he was first dug out of the ice. Later archaeological excavations at the site uncovered additional artifacts, including more hide, leather, a knife, an arrow quiver and pieces of Ötzi’s clothing. In fact, archaeologists were able to reconstruct the iceman’s wardrobe, which consisted of a cloak, leggings, a belt, a loincloth, a bearskin cap and even shoes. The latter were made out of deer hide stretched on a string netting and were insulated with grass. Archaeologists also found a leather pouch containing a tinder fungus, a scraper, a boring tool, a bone awl and a flint flake.