OTZI THE ICEMAN A PRESENTATION BY CHRISTOPHER WELLS

The Discovery In September 1991 two hikers were walking on a glacier over 3000 meters high in the Ötztal Alps. They came across a gruesome discovery, a frozen human corpse. They called the police believing to be from a climbing accident. Only the top half of the body was sticking out of the ice.

The Body The body was carefully removed from the ice to be taken for forensic examination and a lot of other items were found. All the tools and clothing and weapons belonging to the man. It became apparent the body was very very old. In fact archaeologist believe the man was alive between 3400 and 3100 bc. Making him over 5000 years old.

The Clothing The man was wearing trousers, a jacket, a hat and shoes all made out of goat skin. He had a cloak or rain coat made of woven grass. This is a reconstruction of what he would have looked like.

His Equipment He was found to be carrying An axe made from copper, A flint knife, A bow and arrows, A wooden framed rucksack, Two birch bark containers, a bird catcher, a tool to sharpen his flint knife, and what is believed to be a first aid kit.

His Weapons and tools

How he died Otzi was found to have an arrowhead lodged in his left shoulder and to have died due to loss of blood. His health was not very good. He has intestinal whip worms, blackened lungs from sitting to close to fires, Lyme’s disease and 3 broken ribs. His body was CAT scanned and he had a full stomach of Ibex meat and porridge so he had just eaten. His DNA was taken and found to be a match for people from Corsica and Sardinia. It is believed he was running away from possibly who had shot him with the arrow. Possibly this is why he was high up in the mountains.

Where he is now Otzi’s mummified body and all his equipment and clothing are kept at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Italy. His name Otzi comes from the Ötztal Alps region where he was found.