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Ötzi the Iceman (also spelled Oetzi) is the modern nickname of a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about 3300 BC, found in 1991 in a glacier of the Ötztaler Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy. The nickname comes from the valley of discovery. It rivals Egyptian "Ginger" as the oldest known human mummy, and has offered an unprecedented view on the habits of Chalcolithic (Copper Age) Europeans. A mummy is a preserved corpse that, due to shielding from decomposition by either natural or artificial means, has retained its physical form. ...
(35th century BC - 34th century BC - 33rd century BC - other centuries) (5th millennium BC - 4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC) Events Stage IIIa2 of the Naqada culture in Egypt (dated in 1998) Significant persons Ur-Nina first king of Lagash in Mesopotamia (c. ...
1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner. ...
The Alps is the collective name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria in the east, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, through to France in the west. ...
The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos copper stone) period, also known as the Eneolithic or Copper Age period, is a phase in the development of human culture in which the use of early metal tools appeared alongside the use of stone tools. ...
World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...
Discovery Ötzi was found by a couple of German tourists, Helmut and Erika Simon, on September 19, 1991. The body was at first thought to be a modern corpse, like several others which had been recently found in the region. It was roughly recovered by the Austrian authorities and taken to Innsbruck, where its true age was finally discovered. Subsequent surveys showed that the body had been located a few meters inside Italian territory. It is now on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ...
1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Innsbruck City Center Innsbruck (population 120,000) is a city in western Austria, and the capital of the Tyrol province. ...
South Tyrol ( German Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, Italian Provincia autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige, Ladin Provinzia autonóma de Bulsan-Südtirol) is an autonomous province of Italy. ...
Coat of Arms Bolzano (Italian) or Bozen (German) is a city in the Trentino-South Tyrol (It. ...
Scientific analysis The body has been extensively examined, measured, x-rayed, and dated. Tissues and gut contents were examined microscopically, as was the pollen found on his gear. In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz...
SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomea purpurea),hollyhock (Sildalcea malviflora), lily (Lilium auratum), primrose(Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ...
At the time of his death, Ötzi was a 30-to-45-year old man, approximately 160 cm (5'3") tall. Analysis of pollen and dust grains and the isotopic composition of his teeth's enamel indicate that he spent his childhood near the present village of Feldthurns, north of Bolzano, but later went to live in valleys about 50 km further north. A centimetre (American spelling: centimeter, symbol: cm) is an SI unit of length. ...
Isotopes are forms of a chemical element whose nuclei have the same atomic number, Z, but different atomic masses, A. The word isotope, meaning at the same place, comes from the fact that all isotopes of an element are located at the same place on the periodic table. ...
A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ...
He had 57 tattoos, some of which seem to are located on or near acupuncture points that coincide with the modern points that would be used to treat symptoms of diseases that Ötzi seems to have suffered from, such as digestive parasites and osteoarthrosis. Some scientists believe that these tattoos indicate an early type of acupuncture. This article is about the tattoo, a design in ink or some other pigment, usually decorative or symbolic, placed permanently under the skin. ...
Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty. ...
His clothes, including a woven grass cloak and leather vest and shoes, were quite sophisticated. The shoes were waterproof and wide, seemingly designed for walking across the snow; they were constructed using bearskin for the soles, deer hide for top panels, and a netting made of tree bark. Soft grass went around the foot and in the shoe and functioned like warm socks. A cloak is a type of loose garment which is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat – it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit (e. ...
Other items found with the Iceman were a copper axe with a yew handle, a flint knife with an ash handle, a quiver full of arrows with viburnum and dogwood shafts and flint heads, and an unfinished yew longbow that was taller than he was. General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 , 4, d Density, Hardness 8920 kg/m3, 3. ...
Firefighter with a fire-axe An axe (also spelt as ax) is a tool with a metal blade that is securely fastened at a 90 degree angle to a handle, usually of wood, while a blade fastened horizontally is called an adze. ...
Species Taxus baccata - European Yew Taxus brevifolia - Pacific Yew Taxus canadensis - Canadian Yew Taxus chinensis - Chinese Yew Taxus cuspidata - Japanese Yew Taxus floridana - Florida Yew Taxus globosa - Mexican Yew Taxus sumatrana - Sumatran Yew Taxus wallichiana - Himalayan Yew Yews are small coniferous trees or shrubs in the genus Taxus in the...
Pebble beach made up of flint nodules eroded out of the nearby chalk cliffs, Cape Arkona, Rügen Flint (or flintstone) is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline silica rock with a glassy appearance. ...
A quiver is a container for arrows, crossbow bolts or darts, such as those fired from a bow, crossbow or blowgun. ...
Species About 150 species including: Viburnum acerifolium - Maple-leaf Viburnum Viburnum dentatum - Arrowwood Viburnum farreri - Farrers Viburnum Viburnum grandiflorum - Himalayan Viburnum Viburnum lantana - Wayfaring-tree Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry Viburnum opulus - Guelder-rose or Snowball-tree Viburnum prunifolium - Blackhaw Viburnum rhytidopyllum - Crinkle-leaf Viburnum Viburnum tinus - Laurustinus Viburnum Viburnum trilobum...
Subgenera Cornus Benthamidia Swida The Dogwoods comprise a group of 30-50 species of deciduous woody plants (shrubs and trees) in the family Cornaceae, divided into one to nine genera or subgenera (depending on botanical interpretation). ...
Species Taxus baccata - European Yew Taxus brevifolia - Pacific Yew Taxus canadensis - Canadian Yew Taxus chinensis - Chinese Yew Taxus cuspidata - Japanese Yew Taxus floridana - Florida Yew Taxus globosa - Mexican Yew Taxus sumatrana - Sumatran Yew Taxus wallichiana - Himalayan Yew Yews are small coniferous trees or shrubs in the genus Taxus in the...
The longbow (or English longbow, or Welsh longbow, see below) was a type of bow about 2. ...
Among Ötzi's possessions were two species of polypore mushrooms. One of these (the birch fungus) is known to have antibacterial properties, and was likely used for medical purposes. The other was a type of tinder fungus, included with part of what appeared to be a complex firestarting kit. The kit featured pieces of over a dozen different plants, in addition to flint and pyrite for creating sparks. Polypores are a group of tough, leathery poroid mushrooms similar to boletes, but typically lacking a distinct stalk. ...
Basidiocarps (mushrooms) of the fungus Leucocoprinus sp. ...
Pebble beach made up of flint nodules eroded out of the nearby chalk cliffs, Cape Arkona, Rügen Flint (or flintstone) is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline silica rock with a glassy appearance. ...
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is iron disulfide, FeS2. ...
In 2004, three bodies of frozen Austro-Hungarian soldiers killed during the Battle of San Matteo (1918) were found. One body was sent to a museum in the hope that research on its preservation will help to find about Ötzi's past and future evolution. Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...
The Battle of San Matteo took place in the late summer of 1918 on the San Matteo Peak (3678 m) and it is called by some authors the highest battle in history. ...
An ancient crime? Analysis of Ötzi's gut contents showed two meals, one of ibex meat, the second of red deer meat, both consumed with some grain. Pollen in the first meal showed that it had been consumed in a mid-altitude conifer forest. Species Capra ibex Capra nubiana Capra pyrenaica (extinct) Capra sibiria Capra walie An Ibex is also a specialist off-road vehicle, obviously named after the mountain goat. ...
Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus,, 1758 Subspecies Numerous - see text. ...
Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales Pinaceae - Pine family Araucariaceae - Araucaria family Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family Cupressaceae - Cypress family Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ...
DNA analysis revealed traces of blood from four other people on his gear: one from his knife, two from the same arrowhead, and a fourth from his coat. A CAT scan revealed that Ötzi had what appeared to be an arrowhead lodged in one shoulder when he died, matching a small tear on his coat. The arrow shaft had been removed, apparently by a companion. He also had bruises and cuts on his hands, wrists, and chest. CT apparatus in a hospital Computed axial tomography (CAT), computer-assisted tomography, computed tomography, CT, or body section roentgenography is the process of using digital processing to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around...
From such evidence, and an examination of his weapons, molecular biologist Thomas Loy from the University of Queensland believes that Ötzi and one or two companions were hunters who engaged in a skirmish with a rival group. At some point, he may have carried (or been carried by) a companion. Weakened by blood loss, Ötzi apparently put down his equipment neatly against a rock, lay down and expired. Steele Building - University of Queensland The University of Queensland (UQ) (motto: Scientia ac Labore - through knowledge and hard work) has its main campus in Brisbane, Queensland, specifically in the suburb of Saint Lucia. ...
Before the latest evidence, it was speculated that, rather than fleeing attackers, he was ritually killed to propitiate a god or gods, or that he was a chieftain and therefore ritually killed to ensure fertility. One of the most fanciful theories was that he was in fact an Egyptian who had been ritually castrated. Later examination, however, revealed that, though shrunken by the mummification, Ötzi did in fact possess a penis. A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ...
This article is about the leader. ...
Fertility is the ability of people or animals to produce healthy offspring in abundance. ...
Castration, gelding, neutering, orchiectomy or orchidectomy is any action, surgical, chemical or otherwise, by which a biological male loses use of the testes. ...
The penis (plural penises or penes) or phallus is the external male copulatory organ, and, in mammals, the external male organ of urination. ...
Curse The curse of Ötzi is being linked to six deaths. The latest victim is archaeologist Konrad Spindler — the leading expert on the 5,300-year-old corpse. Wiktionary has a definition of: Curse A curse is a prayer asking that a god or similar spirit bring misfortune to someone; an imprecation or execration, the opposite of a blessing or charm. ...
Shortly before he was diagnosed with cancer the Austrian expert dismissed the link between the five previous deaths. He declared: "I think it's a load of rubbish. It is all a media hype. The next thing you will be saying I will be next." He has now died.
The curse began with the death of German tourist Helmut Simon, who found the body. The hiker returned to the region to celebrate winning a £50,000 court battle over rights to the mummy. He set out in fine weather but a blizzard set in and he froze to death, some 200 kilometers from the place where Ötzi had met a similar end. He had not signed the court papers so his widow did not get the £50,000.
The second victim is Dr Rainer Henn, 64, who is the head of the forensic team who examined the body. He died when his car was in a head-on collision with another vehicle while on his way to give a talk about Oetzi. The cause of the crash has never been revealed.
The third victim is mountaineer Kurt Fritz, who led Dr Henn and the others to the iceman’s body and later gave tours to the site. Although an experienced climber, he died in an avalanche at a mountain region he was very familiar with. Even though the Austrian was crushed to death, no other member of the climbing party was even injured by the crashing rocks.
Austrian journalist Rainer Hoelzl was the fourth victim. He exclusively covered the removal of the body as part of a one-hour documentary that was shown around the world. But he developed a mystery illness — thought to be a brain tumour — that claimed his life in extreme pain a few months after the programme was shown.
Dieter Warnecke is the head of the mountain rescue team that searched for Helmut Simon. Although described as physically fit, Dieter Warnecke collapsed with a heart attack less than an hour after Helmut Simon was lowered into his grave.
References BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts and...
Horizon is a long-running BBC popular science and history documentary programme, notable for coining the term supervolcano. ...
February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
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