We know how many tattoos he had, what diseases he had and how he died. Ötzi, the oldest human mummy ever found in Europe, has been unearthed since its discovery 25 years ago. What he was wearing, what he was carrying and who his ancestors were, is also known. But he is still under investigation. The latest results are from August 18, 2016 of DNA research into the leather of his clothing.
On September 19, 1991, the German mountaineers Helmut and Erika Simon made a very special find at 3210 meters that would ultimately not only bring them 175,000 euros, but that provided the scientific world with research for years. They came across a naked man of 1.65 meters who weighed just under 14 kilos at the time, but at the time of death – thousands of years ago – was probably 45 years old and weighed 50 kilos. It was nicknamed Ötzi because of its location on the edge of the Niederjochferner glacier in the Ötztal.
Wrapped in leather
The German hikers initially thought it was a mountaineer. The authorities that eventually picked him up probably suspected that too, because he was rather carelessly salvaged four days after his discovery and brought to Inssbruck. Only later did it become clear how unique the man was who had been protected by the ice for years. And what an important role he would play in early man research. After it turned out that the site was more than 92 meters across the border in Italy, Ötzi was moved from Austria to Bolzano, Italy, where he has since been on display through a cold store window in the South Tyrolean Archeology Museum.
Because of the protection of the ice, Ötzi was found to be relatively intact, as were many of the clothes he had worn and the belongings he had with him. A lot of research was immediately carried out on this. For the latest study, Niall J. O'Sullivan et al. of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano nine samples of clothing and the quiver of arrows. By determining the mitochondrial DNA of these samples, it is now clear from which animals the leather pieces come.
Ötzi's clothing came from many different animals, domestic and wild. His coat consisted of pieces of sheepskin and goatskin sewn together. On his last day, he wore cowhide lace-up shoes filled with hay for insulation. He was wearing a sheepskin loincloth with a calfskin belt from which hung a bag containing flints, among other things. He protected his legs with patches of goatskin and wore a cloak of knotted grass over his knee-length coat. On his head he had a bearskin hat.
In 2018, a film about Otzi's life was released in German cinemas.
His quiver was made of deer leather. It contained fourteen arrows, only two of which were ready for use. The rest had yet to be completed. His bow was still unfinished. Ötzi also carried a copper ax with him. It is the only Neolithic ax in the world that has been found intact.
Hit by an arrow
Ötzi's antiquity was determined using radiocarbon dating. It is estimated to be between 5350 and 5100 years old. His cause of death was not determined until ten years after the discovery. Ötzi probably bled to death after being hit by an arrow. CT scans showed an arrowhead in his chest, and further examination then revealed that the artery going to the left arm had been hit through this point. The arrow did not go all the way through his body, leading scientists to suspect that it was hit from a great distance.
What was Ötzi doing at 3210 meters? Unfortunately, that cannot be determined exactly. Intestinal research shows that he must have been 1200 meters lower at least twelve hours before his death. Ötzi's intestines contain pollen from the hop beech and the tree line is around 2000 meters. He may have been on the run. But others think that he worked as a shepherd on the high alpine pastures, or that he worked as a trader in the borderlands. Another possibility was that he made copper tools because of the ax found and the large amounts of copper particles found in his hair.
Last Supper
Two years of research into the contents of Ötzi's intestines showed that Ötzi came from lower ground. Using fragmented pieces of DNA, the researchers were able to reconstruct what Ötzi ate in his last hours of life. Ötzi probably ate the oldest meal found in a coniferous forest, made up of various grains and ibex. His last meal he ate on higher ground and consisted of venison and again grains. The pollen found from the hop beech show not only that Ötzi ate his penultimate meal on lower ground, but also that it must have been spring when he died. The hop beech bears flowers from March to June.
After the DNA of his last meal was analyzed, the investigation into Otzi's own gene package followed. In 2012, researchers published in Nature Communications the complete genome of the ice mummy. Geneticists ground up a small piece of hip bone and used it to determine the DNA sequence. The analyzes showed that he was most closely related to Europeans who now live on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, not to today's Alpine inhabitants. He had brown eyes, blood type O and a lactose intolerance. They also concluded that he had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but that conclusion can be compromised, said professor of epidemiology Cecile Janssens in NRC at the time. It was already known through research with scans that Ötzi suffered from arteriosclerosis and, according to the professor, the researchers linked this too easily to the genes. According to her, the researchers have looked at too few genetic factors for cardiovascular disease.
Inflamed gums and Lyme disease
He may not have been genetically predisposed to a heart defect, but in the years that followed, it became clear that Ötzi had not been in top physical condition. During the genome analysis, two-thirds of the genome of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease was also found (Borrelia burgdorferi ). Perhaps he was suffering from that disease. And on the CT scans taken earlier, researchers saw that three of his right ribs are compressed. This may have happened when he was buried under the ice.
Furthermore, lines of Beau were found on the two nails that were found, which are caused by a disturbed protein formation. They occur in various diseases. And in his intestinal tract, scientists found remains of the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura ). In 2013, Swiss researchers wrote in the European Journal of Oral Sciences that Ötzi didn't have good teeth. His molars were worn out and he suffered from inflamed gums. It is possible that his teeth wore out because he ate cereal porridge. The grain for that porridge was stone-ground and the grit ended up in the flour. The scientists also found a few holes.
Tattoos
One of the most recent investigations into Otzi focused on his tattoos. A few had already been noticed before, but thanks to special photography techniques, the researchers were able to image 61 tattoos in 2015. They are made by making incisions in the skin and rubbing it with ashes. The tattoos consist of lines, varying in thickness and length. Previously, the scientists thought the lines were the result of some kind of acupuncture treatment, since the previously found tattoos were all located near joints and the spinal cord. However, it turned out that there were also lines outside these areas. What the drawings were used for is still a mystery.
Few people have been subjected to as much research as Ötzi. His find is therefore unique and it is questionable whether such a find will ever be made again. But there still seems to be something to discover about Ötzi. Who knows what new techniques scientists will develop with which we can further unveil its secrets.