Ötzi the Ice Man

Frozen Stiff!!!

Otzi in Storage

Where did he come from?

On September 19, 1991, Otzi (the name given him by scientists) was found at

about 10,500 feet in the Oztal Alps on the border between Austria and Italy. His body was so well-preserved that the hikers who

found him and the first investigators assumed he had been dead for a relatively

short time.

Just Hanging Out!!

What was Otzi wearing?

• Scientists were surprised not only by the warmth of Ötzi's clothing, but also by the quality of its construction.

• The iceman was found nude, but he had with him three layers of finely stitched clothes: Leather and fur from domestic and wild animals provided most of his wardrobe. The outer layer was a woven grass cape or cloak.

His Bear Skin hat.

His Grass Cloak

His Leggings

Otzi’s Stuff

• An axe with a copper blade and yew shaft • A bow and a quiver of arrows, two with flint arrow heads • A small dagger in a scabbard • A back pannier made of hazel rods, larch boards and

birch bark • Other smaller items, such as cords and flints• A fur cap • A upper garment made of pieces of fur sewn together • Fur leggings held up by a belt • A soft leather loincloth • Leather shoes, with a inner net of grass cords

Where did Otzi come from?

• Otzi was frozen very quickly. In fact it happened so fast his internal organs remain intact. In fact, scientists have been able to examine his stomach contents and intestines to learn about diet in the Neolithic period. They even know what he ate for his last meal!

• Scientists believe that only eight hours before he died, Ötzi was to the south in what is now Italy's Schnals Valley, eating his last meal of unleavened einkorn wheat bread, an herb or another green plant, and meat.

Otzi Had a Copper Axe

What does the Copper Axe tell us?

• One of the most stunning discoveries in Otzi's possession was a copper ax. Why? Scientists had long believed that humans in Italy were melting and shaping copper with such precision only about 4,000 years ago — more than 500 years after Otzi lived. This places Otzi in the Neolithic period.

How did Otzi Die?

• At first it was thought that Otzi died in a sudden snow storm, but further examination has shown new evidence. Now scientists can tell a new story of the Iceman's death.

New Evidence

• Otzi was attacked and managed to flee. As he ran he was shot in the back with an arrow. He pulled out the arrow shaft but the head remained stuck in his shoulder. Otzi also has a severe knife cut across his hand. It is thought that Otzi bled to death after the arrow shattered the scapula and damaged nerves and blood vessels before lodging near the lung.

Arrow Wound

Clues, Clues, Clues

• Archeologist use clues to find out what happened in the past.

History and Pre-History

• Pre-History is prior to the invention of writing, so there are no written records of events during this time.

• History is after the invention of writing, when events were written down and recorded.