He is probably one of the most famous men in the world: Ötzi. Now the theory about the preservation of the glacier mummy has been partially disproved.
Vienna/Munich – The Iceman died over 5,300 years ago. In the early 1990s, two mountaineers found the glacier mummy Ötzi in a gully on the Tisenjoch Pass near the Italian-Austrian border. It was a sensational find because it was the oldest and the best preserved glacier mummy in the world. A research team found in a study that the previous explanation for the preservation of the Stone Age mummy no longer corresponds to the current state of research. The history of Ötzi must be rewritten.
Ötzi glacier mummy: Researchers find out new information about preservation
The Austrian archaeologist Konrad Spindler provided the answer to the question of why Ötzi’s body was so well preserved. He assumed that Ötzi sought shelter in the mountains in the fall with damaged equipment. It was assumed that he was fleeing a fight because the mummy showed injuries. He sought shelter in a snow-free gorge and finally froze to death.
His body and tools were covered with snow. He was lying under a moving glacier, and as the ice slowly melted again, his body could be seen. However, this theory no longer seems to be correct. The more closely the remains were examined, the more questions arose.
Thus, scientists found plant remains in his wounds, leading to a reinterpretation of his death and preservation. Archaeological knowledge of finds from glaciers and ice patches has increased significantly, especially in the last two decades, as the researchers point out in their article in the journal “The Holocene” explained. With the new findings, it was possible to take a fresh look at the Ötzi case.
Ötzi history must be rewritten – New discoveries by scientists
By re-examining the scientists from Norway, Austria and Switzerland were able to gain further insights. Ötzi was probably already lying in the snow when he died. Moreover, his death did not come in the fall, but in the spring or early summer. After some time, the ice melted, as well as the snow in which the body was located. As a result, Ötzi and his belongings are said to have fallen into a gully below, where he was finally found in 1991.
The damage to the body and the tools he was carrying could have occurred during one major melting situation or through multiple small melting events. According to the researchers, over the next 1,500 years there were repeated hot summers that exposed the body. This worsened the condition of the glacier mummy, as well as the condition of the tools.
Scientists partially refute the theory surrounding Ötzi
The scientists write that there is no clear evidence of a sudden cooling of the climate at the time of Ötzi’s death. The predecessor theory used this assumption to form the assumptions. The channel is said to have finally closed up due to ice and snow around 3,800 years ago, until the ice melted again at the end of the 20th century and uncovered the body. As early as 1995, scientists pointed out that the Spindler theory is unlikely.
The mystery surrounding the glacier mummy Ötzi is still popular today. In Vinschgau in South Tyrol – which is close to where Ötzi was found – you can learn and understand how Stone Age people like Ötzi lived back then. (vk)
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