Recent evidence has revealed info about the final journey of a European glacier mummy that was shot dead by an arrow prior to his body being preserved in ice for thousands of years.
A study published in the Plos One Journal tested the subfossils of vegetation pieces that had frozen on or around the mummy called Otzi the Iceman.
Here’s what they discovered.
Who Discovered Otzi the Iceman?
The body of Otzi was frozen in ice until a hiking couple discovered it in 1991 in the North Italian Alps.
Since then, almost every part of the body has been analyzed, including how he may have sounded, what was in his stomach, and how he died.
The mummified body has provided insight into early human history and what life was like in the Copper Age in the Alpine region.
What Did the New Study Found?
The new study gives clues about the route of Otzi up the glacier.
The team of Glasgow and Innsbruck universities managed to recover at least 75 species of bryophytes, non-vascular plants such as liverworts and mosses.
Only 30 percent of these are considered local to the area and the others were probably transported to the site of the death from another place.
They were maybe carried on his clothing or by large herbivores like the Alpine Ibex.
Mosses still exist today in the lower Schanalstal valley in the South Tyrol province of Italy.
This suggests Otzi probably traveled along the valley on his climb up to the glacier where it was his final resting place.
What Information Is Known about Otzi Until Now?
Otzi lived between 3100 and 3370 BC and was 5”2’, had 110 pounds, a narrow and pointed face, a tanned and tattooed skin, long dark hair, beard, and brown eyes.
His blood type was 0-positive and he was intolerant to lactose. But, he died at the age of 46, which believe it or not, was considered old for that time.
The arrow with which he was shot dead remains in his left shoulder and wasn’t found until 2001. He also has a wound on the back of the head, probably when he fell down from the shot.
He also had a copper ax on him which was his tool and weapon, but a status symbol as well.
His clothes were made from braided grass, hide, leather, and animal sinews. This helped him stay warm in the cold and wet climate.
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