Otzi the Iceman

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Ötzi the Iceman * Named after the Otzal Alps where he was found in 1991, which is on the border of Austria and Italy. Also known as “Frozen Fritz” or Similaun Man. * Body dated to around 3300 BCE (before common era)- that’s the 34th century BCE or 5310 years old! * Earliest specimen of European Chalcolithic Age; so well preserved as the body was covered with ice soon after death. * From the Copper Age (or Chalcolithic Age) which was the transition between the Neolithic (Stone) age and the Bronze Age, with an overlap of tools from each age. * Believed to have died in a skirmish. * 165cm tall (5ft 5 inches) and weighed about 50kg at death * Aged about 45 when he died (elderly by Neolithic standards). * Because authorities did not realise Otzi’s age (they thought it was the body of a modern person who had come to misadventure in the mountains), they did not use archaeologists to exhume Otzi- instead they used a jackhammer! It was only when he was taken to a morgue that they realised his true age, but by then they had lost some of his possessions to those taking souvenirs and had also pierced his hip in the process of removal. From forensic investigation, scientists are able to tell about Otzi’s: Life and death Age at death Health Lifestyle and possible occupations What he ate before death Chemical traces Cause(s) of death Where he originated from Forensic science used to discover information about Otzi: Carbon dating Isotopic dating of his tooth enamel (atomic structure examined). Dating and examination of pollen and foodstuffs in his stomach/clothes/in possessions Medical imaging (x-ray and MRI etc.) -DNA analysis used to determine his ancestry Study of some soldier’s bodies that were found in the area dating back to 1918 who were also frozen- it is hoped study of their bodies would provide information on how

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