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S 1'he Ice Man n Thursday, September 19, 1991, a male human skeleton was discovered preserved in glacial ice in the Otzaler Alps on the border between Austria and Italy, at an altitude of 6,300 feet. Two hikers who had passed by the discovery site the day before without seeing the bones found the frozen remains. Rapid melting of the ice around the upper portion of the skeleton was due to heavy fall-out of the Sahara Desert dust plus unusually warm weather. He was found the next day by the hikers. It has been determined the remains are at least 5,300 years old by carbon dating from three independent sources, and he has been named "Otzi'. I have been interested in Otzi, not only for the drama of a complete ancient body being found intact, but also for the astounding preservation ability of glacial snow and ice. Not only were Otzi s bones and skin well preserved, but also a copper ax, 4,000 years old, which serves as transitional evidence of the Neolithic Age and the change from stone to metal tools. Preserved, as well, were feathered arrows, bits of cloth, and wooden handles for tools and weapons - all of which had never been seen by modern eyes, according to a February 2003 Smithsonian Magazine article. Recent detailed examinations of Otzi have come to the startling conclusion that he had probably been murdered.. Two recent findings have helped scientists assume a murderous cause of death: the discovery of an arrowhead under his left shoulder, and the analysis of preserved bits of this last meal, extracted from his colon. It appears Otzi died from extensive bleeding from the wound caused by an arrowhead- the shaft of the arrow has not been recovered. Further, a deep wound in his right hand suggests he died fighting. only recently was the body carefully ~~ thawed enough to allow extraction of a small fingernail- size of material from Otzi's lower colon. It proved to be ~ remnants of his last meal of primitive wheat called einkorn, as ~` well as some other yet to be identified plants. Residue in a portion of his intestine shows the remains of deer meat and a wild goat called alpine ibex. Near his body was a whole small plum-like fruit called sloe, with pieces of ibex neck bones. This was all the fare of a hunter from a lower valley who was killed at an altitude of about 6,300 feet. A snowstorm quickly covered the body and artifacts, protecting them from predators, and providing the necessary conditions to turn into glacial ice. It was the most unusual of circumstances that the body covering melted just enough to expose the skin and bones so the two hikers could just happen across the body. That's the way so many things happen- by accident and timing. Otzi was a small man by today's standards- only 5 foot 3 inches tall- yet that probably was a medium to tall height 5,300 years ago. Tests have shown he was 46 years old and his DNA proved he was of Central Northern Europe extraction. Finding Otzi s body with intact artifacts is the most spectacular archeological discovery of the 20th century according to the Smithsonian Magazine. When first found, it was thought the body was in Austria but detailed surveys showed it was 100 feet inside Italy. Today, the body lies in a specia120.3 degree Fahrenheit vault in near 100% humidity in a museum iri Bolzano, Italy. Otzi s caretaker at present is Dr. Eduard Egarter who says, after five years at this job, " I learn new things every day." 'The general public is also learning continuously about the remarkable preservative properties frozen water can give. ~`~G~ar~ • FACETS Summer 2003