Two hikers discovered the Iceman in the Ötztal Alps, where his body was well preserved by ice in 1992. The discovery was the beginning of ongoing scientific research on the Iceman's body. Many theories about the life of the Iceman and his community have been extracted from the research findings done on his body. The items that were found near his body have been used as archeological artifacts. The Nova film explores the findings of research conducted in more than ten years ago. However, more research has been conducted in recent years, and scientists have discovered new information about Iceman's' health, society, location of birth, and origin.
The Iceman Murder Mystery (NOVA 2012).
The Iceman's body failed to undergo decomposition as it was covered in ice sheets. The very cold temperatures turned it into a mummy. Therefore , the Otzi survived through the years because cold temperatures lower the rate of decomposition and the Otztal Alps have ultra-low temperatures. The absolute data about the Otzi is determined through carbon dating. It is a method that is used to analyze the age of archeological discoveries scientifically. Through carbon dating, the Otzi was discovered to have lived 5000 years ago. His age at the time of death was forty years. The artifacts found in his possession also gave insights that the Iceman lived at the end of the Old Stone Age.
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Through an analysis of the carbon dating results, the Iceman lived at the time of transition from the Old Stone Age to the Neolithic period. People had started creating artifacts like axes by heating copper. However, people lived in small settlements. The population had begun to rise, and therefore, it was the start of a competitive world. People had learned how to farm, and the crops that were being planted include wheat and barley. The domestication of animals had also begun, and people had begun rearing goats, sheep, and cattle while some lived as nomadic hunters. Conflicts over land and resources had begun to arise because the population was increasing, and there was a need for survival.
According to the filmmakers’, studies on the Iceman could be dangerous because defrosting the body for research purposes could reactivate harmful bacteria. The bacteria could cause particular infections that could be transmitted by the scientist who touches the corpse. Besides bacteria, the body could also entail living organisms who are reactivated by defrosting and could be dangerous to man's health. Defrosting allowed the scientist to have nine hours to study the iceman corpse, and this was enough time to bring back to life any organisms or bacteria that could be dangerous to human health.
Additionally, the artifacts shown in the film depict that the Iceman had carried included an axe made of copper; it was a tool used as a weapon and could also have been used to chop wood. With him was a handmade rope of cord, which was used during hikes. He had a backpack with a wooden frame to carry arrows, and he also had trunk fungus that had medicinal value and was therefore used for first aid. He was also wearing a shoe made of cord and leather and maple limps used to carry hot ambers used to light fire .
The recovered objects change the history that existed concerning how people in the old age lived. The copper axe means that people had discovered how to heat copper to two thousand Fahrenheit to melt it and then use it to make axes and other artifacts by the end of the old Stone Age. It, therefore, shows that the people were as innovative as the current generation. They had brilliant minds, and their way of thinking is almost like that of the people in the current generation. The use of feathered arrows also shows that the people were quite civilized and transitioned to the Middle Stone Age. These findings make scientists realize that they had underestimated the people in the Old Stone Age abilities.
The results found in the film include: the Iceman bled inside the brain from being hit by a blunt object. Another discovery is that his right hand had a deep cut, meaning he had been cut during a physical struggle with the one who attacked him. The missing arrow from his body is also another important discovery in explaining how he died. The final finding as the film ends the presence of a large chunk of food in the Iceman’s stomach. All these findings were vital in concluding that an individual attacked the Iceman he knew well and might have been close to him. His killer had made sure he left no trace of him so he could not be discovered.
New Discoveries about the Iceman
Scientist continues to research and deconstruct the research that already exists in the Iceman film. A new analysis published in October 2019 states that at least seventy-five bryophytes are a plant in the same family as moss and liverworts in which have been discovered to be on and around the Iceman's corpse. The bryophytes discovered are said to have come from the lower attitude of the Otzal. However, they were found at a high altitude where the Iceman was located ( Milisauska, 2011) . The mystery on how the botanical remains moved to the top creates questions on the Iceman's movement back and forth thousands of feet in a span that scientist has explained as two days. A researcher named John Dickson, who has been in charge of research since 1994, explains that he was surprised to discover a plant remains named Flatly knackered, a moss species. The plant is mostly on the clothing that Iceman carried. However, the scientist still wonders what the plant's use and analysis were for insulation.
Recent discoveries have also discovered the presence of background pollen. The pollen is from the environment in which the Iceman ate his last meals. His rectum study in the lower section of his colon also shows more food traces and spruce pollen in his system. In this study, the pollen is used to trace the locations in which the Iceman was in the last days of his death. According to this evidence, he ate his last meal at the subalpine coniferous forest. He then climbed higher to the mountain where he died. The recent findings of Otzi explain that he must have come from the South. Isotopic evidence also shows that Otzi was raised in the Southern region of the Alps.
Recent DNA findings show that Iceman has relatives who are alive. Scientists looked for unusual markers of the Male chromosome in the Iceman and have discovered nineteen relatives who are genetically related. The study was conducted using samples from 3700 anonymous blood donors located in the Tyrol region, which is located near the Otzal Alps (Seiler, 2013) . The information is true as the Y- chromosome markers can be transferred from father to son; therefore, people from his generation are alive.
More studies show that the Iceman belonged to the halo group; the people in this group have their DNA in the K1 subdivision. Such people are infertile, but they are very rare (Keller et al., 2012). The research conducted has created new perspectives on how the icemen died. Dr. Rollo suggests that there might have been a connection between his infertility and his death, especially because a man was viewed as weak if he could not have children in the past. Recent discoveries also explain that Iceman experienced tooth decay and gum disease. Evidence shows severe wear on his tooth's enamel and lose roots on most of his teeth (Seiler, 2013). Similar findings have been discovered to the Egyptian mummies whose meals were milled grains. These findings show that the Ice man's tooth resulted from switching from the hunter and gathering diet to introduce agricultural food.
The Iceman body shows that he had pierced his ears, and the holes are enlarged at a seven to ten-millimeter diameter. Besides piercing the ears, his body has over sixty-one tattoos that are the oldest in history. In the University of Graz in Austria, the researchers have discovered the presence of fifteen blue-tinted tattoos. They are located on the back, knee, foot, and ankle. (Moses et al., 1999). Tattoos display no ornamental function and are perceived to serve medical purposes. The researchers compared the tattoos' acupuncture points with those of Chinese and determined that most of them overlap each other. These acupuncture points were used to heal diseases. For example, the tattoo on the left ankle was used to treat the lower spine's arthrosis, a disease that Otzi suffered. Tattoos on the Otzi's right knee was used to treat abdominal disorders.
More research shows that Otzi suffered from numerous intestinal parasites. A study on his colon shows that it was a quarter filled with charcoal, which is a method to treat diarrhea even today. The use of tattoos as healing methods have created a need for more research on the people who lived in the Neolithic period. More of his tools included a bone awl with a sharp needle, thus raising questions whether he drew the tattoos himself.
In 2019, Swiss scientists discovered the cord found next to the iceman body was a bowstring. It is the oldest bowstring existing in the world today. Researchers were fascinated by how the bowstring was wrapped into an S-shape, with a knot tied at the end. The cords length is six feet, which is almost the same length as his bow. According to the Swiss scientists, the bowstrings are the most difficult artifacts to find in archeological excavations.
Conclusion
Summarily, researchers from all over the world continue to study the body of the Iceman. The present findings have invented new information on how people lived five thousand years ago. Thus, the Iceman discovery has created a new venture for historians and archeologists to explore and create more knowledge. Scientists now have a task to ensure that the Iceman's body is well preserved and protected from human contamination. The studies being conducted will also enlighten people in the 21 st century on how people lived during the Neolithic period. The historical topics are important as they help people understand their origin through the lives of those who lived in the past.
References
Keller, A., Graefen, A., Ball, M., Matzas, M., Boisguerin, V., Maixner, F., ... & Stade, B. (2012). New insights into the Tyrolean Iceman's origin and phenotype as inferred by whole-genome sequencing. Nature communications , 3 (1), 1-9.
Moser, M., Dorfer, L., Bahr, F., Egarter-Vigl, E., Dohr, G., & Kenner, T. (1999). Are Ötzi’s Tattoos Acupuncture?: Skin Markings on the Tyrolean Iceman May Have Been Treatment for His Ills? Discovering Archaeol , 1 , 16-17.
Milisauskas, S. (2011). Historical observations on European archaeology. In European Prehistory (pp. 7-21).
Seiler, R., Spielman, A. I., Zink, A., & Rühli, F. (2013). Oral pathologies of the Neolithic I ceman, c. 3,300 bc. European Journal of Oral Sciences , 121 (3pt1), 137-141.
