Iceman: Who is Ötzi?

Every year, thousands of people visit the mummy, which is housed in a special cold cell at the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum in Bolzano, Italy.

How was Ötzi the Iceman found?

How much did he weigh when he was alive?

How tall was he?

How was it?

What is the cause of death?

What do their tattoos mean?

What was the last thing he ate?

What kind of illnesses did he have?

What did he look like before he died?

What tools did he have with him?

Where was Ötzi from?

How did he become mummified?

The answers to all these questions continue to be found day by day and as scientific research increases. So we decided to gather the answers to all these questions about Ötzi.

How Was Ötzi Found?

Two German tourists, who went hiking in the Alps on the Austrian-Italian border, want to return from a shorter route after climbing the last peak. A black stain on the melting part of an icy stream bed catches their eye, and when they look more carefully, they realize that it is a corpse and call the police. The police who arrived at the scene thought that he was one of the dead mountain climbers or soldiers who lost their lives in World War I, which were sometimes seen in that area before, and they began to remove the body.

Ötzi, also called the Iceman, is the natural mummy of a man who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC. Ötzi's remains were discovered on 19 September 1991, in the Ötztal Alps at the border between Austria and Italy. He is Europe's oldest known natural human mummy, offering an unprecedented view of Chalcolithic (Copper Age) Europeans.

The Austrian police's failure to understand the importance of the body and their haste in removing it caused deformities in Ötzi's hip bone. After a little investigation of the body, its importance becomes immediately apparent. Thereupon, the location where the body was found was measured exactly and it was understood that it was within a few meters of the Italian border and it was delivered to Italy. Ötzi, who was found to be 5300 years old as a result of research, left his mark on the world of archaeology.

How Did Ötzi Become Mummified?

Ötzi is one of the oldest mummies known today. But Ötzi has an important difference from other contemporary mummies. Embalming techniques of Egyptian mummies and other cultures include procedures such as removing the internal organs of the dead body and preventing it from decomposing with chemicals. This technique is also called dry mummy because it causes the cells to lose water. However, Ötzi makes a big difference to his competitors by spontaneously mummifying himself in ice, without any intervention, with his clothes, tools, internal organs, and even food residues in his intestines. Therefore, it has given us more information than we could ever imagine and continues to do so.

What was Ötzi like when he was alive? What was his height and weight?

According to the latest research, he was 45 years old, weighed 50 kilos, and was 165 cm tall when he died. When he was found in 1991, he weighed 13 kilos due to shrinkage and mummification. When he died, he was wearing clothes made of several different animal skins and a cloak made of various grasses. His hat made of bear fur was on his head. On his feet, he had waterproof shoes made of animal skin, suitable for bad weather conditions. The outer sole of the shoes was made of bear skin and the inner sole was made of deerskin, filled with tree bark and the inside of the shoe was decorated with dry grass.

A masterful animation of Ötzi based on DNA findings makes it easier for us to imagine him.

What Did Ötzi Carry With Him?

Ötzi also carried the small tools he might need at any time, a drill-like tool, flint, dried mushrooms, and blackberries, in his waist pouch. In addition to these, an unfinished bow, a stone ax, and arrowheads are among the tools he carries with him.

What Diseases Did Ötzi Suffer?

Following his autopsy, it was revealed that traces of the Hookworm parasite, a common type of parasite, were found in Ötzi's intestines. But the most surprising thing is that a type of tree moss that has the ability to kill parasites was also found in abundance in Ötzi's intestines. From this, it can be concluded that Ötzi was aware of the intestinal parasites he had and ate his meals with these anti-parasitic algae to get rid of them.

Research-based on Ötzi's genes revealed that he was genetically prone to cardiovascular diseases, even though he was not overweight and lived an active life. In addition, the detection of some bacterial residues in the gene map, which are known to be transmitted from ticks and cause Lyme disease, gave Ötzi the title of being the first Lyme patient in history.

When Ötzi's teeth were examined, experts detected mechanical trauma in his front teeth and inflammation in his other teeth. Among the conclusions drawn were that his teeth were extremely worn and that one of his back teeth had a fracture caused by a stone in a meal he ate.

What Do Ötzi's Tattoos Mean?

A total of 57 tattoos were found in different parts of Ötzi's body. Although it was previously thought that these tattoos were for religious or ornamental purposes, as a result of the examinations, it was seen that the tattoos were made especially in places where osteoporosis occurred. It is thought that Ötzi made these tattoos to reduce bone pain in those areas. Another interesting detail is that they are found at the points where acupuncture treatment is applied today. Therefore, Ötzi has the distinction of being the first example of acupuncture treatment.

It is also thought that the tattoos on Ötzi's body were made by making thin cuts in the skin and then rubbing them with charcoal.

What Did Ötzi Eat?

Research has shown that Ötzi ate mostly meat. This conclusion, based on the damage to his tooth enamel, was strengthened by the fact that he ate mountain goats, deer, and various grains just before he died.

It was also determined that Ötzi had lactose intolerance, so he could not consume milk and dairy products. It is thought that lactose intolerance was much more common during Ötzi's time than it is today. In addition, the fact that animal husbandry had just started at that time and there was not much interest in milk and dairy products was also cited as the reason for this.

How Did Ötzi Die?

Although it was initially predicted that Ötzi froze to death, it is possible to say that Ötzi was killed by others, as an arrowhead was later found, after tearing his cloak slightly, stuck in his left shoulder, and severed one of his vital veins. The fact that he left a nice table just before he died is a clue that the murder may have been committed insidiously. Because it does not seem possible for Ötzi, who was escaping from his enemies, to eat mountain goats, deer, and various grains while escaping. The fact that he has bruises and cuts on various parts of his body also strengthens this possibility.

Where is Ötzi from?

Experts, who completed 96% of Ötzi's gene map, revealed that Ötzi's hair and eye color were brown and that his gene map did not match well with the people living in his area. Recent research has revealed that their genes are closer to the Middle East.

The claim that emerged in August 2023

Forget what you know about the iceman Ötzi: He turned out to be of Anatolian origin

The real appearance of Ötzi the Iceman was revealed by a new DNA analysis. Moreover, it was discovered that the place where he lived was, contrary to popular belief, the territory of today's Türkiye.

A new study of DNA samples taken from Ötzi's pelvis shows that he still has some secrets to discover. Analysis of his genetic makeup revealed that the 5,300-year-old mummy had dark skin and dark eyes and was likely bald. This contrasts with the reconstruction of Ötzi, which depicts a pale-skinned man with full hair and beard.