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The amazing discovery of an ancient man frozen in the Alps continues to excite the minds of scientists
The latest thing scientists have learned about the Tyrolean "ice man" named Otzi is that he has 19 genetic relatives living in Austria, reports the.
Scientists estimate the age of a frozen person found in the mountains on the border of Austria and Italy at 5,300 years. The discovery was made in 1991.
Otzi's relatives
With the help of new DNA research, it was possible to establish a genetic link between the “ice man” discovered in the mountains and 19 people now living in Tyrol (Austria). The surprising similarity was noticed after an experiment in which about 3,700 people took part. The male chromosomes of some people had distinctive features that made it possible to classify these people as relatives of an ancient person who probably lived here several tens of thousands of years ago. This is the conclusion reached by Walter Parson from the Medical University in Innsbruck. He claims that samples from anonymous blood donors indicate they have a rare mutation known as G-L91. This mutation is also characteristic of Otzi, which means that the theory about their common ancestor is correct.
Research findings indicate that Otzi's ancestors were livestock farmers. Perhaps, during migrations, it was they who spread agriculture beyond the Alps. Otzi, who had a Y chromosome passed from father to son, belongs to haplogroup G, which has roots in the Middle East, like agriculture itself.
"Based on the evidence, it appears that the Neolithic Revolution encouraged people to move west into the Tyrol region," Parson says.
The scientist, however, is wary of any suggestion that distant relatives of Otzi should have common features with their ancestor. This may not manifest itself either in physical similarity or, for example, in taste preferences.
Otzi. Photo from wikimedia.org
Health issues
After the discovery of the ice mummy, scientists subjected the body to extensive analysis. The learning process was quite difficult. Only about 40 items on the list were descriptions of various defects of the body and organs, including worn joints, poor arterial patency, gallstones, a growth on the little toe (possibly due to frostbite), and so on.
Despite numerous wounds and bruises, including a fresh wound to the shoulder, Otzi died from a sudden blow to the head, which became fatal for the Bigfoot.
Monument at the site of death. Photo from wikimedia.org
Anatomical abnormalities
In addition to physical injuries, Otzi also had anatomical abnormalities. He had no wisdom teeth and no 12th pair of ribs. Mountain Man had a large hole between his front teeth, which is commonly called a diastema. Among scientists, a controversial question arises as to whether such physiological characteristics were a way of attracting individuals of the opposite sex. But there are also experts who consider Otzi to be completely infertile.
"Painting" by Otzi
Researchers note that the body of the Tyrolean Ice Man was covered with many tattoos. In total there are about 50 of them. These tattoos cover Otzi's body from head to toe. Moreover, they were made without the use of needles: most likely, small cuts were made on the skin into which charcoal was rubbed. Tattoos of lines and crosses were most often found on parts of the body that were most susceptible to injury or perhaps pain, such as the joints and along the back. Some researchers believe that the tattoos on Otzi's body represent ancient acupuncture points.
If this man actually underwent such healing effects, which is not surprising given his age and ailments, then the practice of acupuncture goes back much deeper than was commonly believed. In this case, the age of such techniques may be 2000 years older than currently believed.
Otzi's diet - pollen and goat meat
Finding out what this man ate is a real treat for any scientist working on this problem. The study found that Otzi's stomach contained about 30 types of pollen, indicating consumption of grains. Analysis of the remains suggests that Otzi died in the spring or early summer. Scientists were even able to find out what approximate path this man had taken along the mountain heights at the time of his death. It is assumed that death overtook him approximately two hours after his last meal. Otzi's last meal consisted of grain and mountain goat meat.
When two German tourists discovered a frozen creature in the Ötztal Alps, they could not even imagine that their discovery was more than 5 thousand years old. Initially, they thought that these were the remains of some climber who died in the mountains relatively recently. But as research has shown, the mummy lay in the ice for 5,300 years.
History of the find
The mummified corpse was found in September 1991 by tourists from Germany at an altitude of about 3200 m. It has been well preserved to this day due to low temperatures, as it was frozen into the ice. Since the mummy was found in the Ötztal Alps, it was named Ötzi. In Italy it is called the Similauan or Tyrolean Ice Man.
Tourists reported the find to the appropriate authorities. The body was recovered within three days thanks to an archaeological team. Upon examination of the corpse, it was revealed that he had been in this place for a very long time. The ice mummy was taken to the morgue in the Austrian town of Innsbruck, where its approximate age was determined. Scientists have determined that the person's death occurred between 3350 and 3100 BC. e. This is the oldest mummy found in Europe. Its age is about 5300 years.
At the site where Ötzi was discovered, a four-meter memorial sign in the form of a cairn was erected.
Research
This find was unique. Unlike mummies discovered in Egypt and Latin America, which were dried out in hot climates, Ötzi was exposed to cold and damp conditions, due to which his skin and organs are well preserved to this day. This allowed scientists to carry out a number of studies. They found that the height of a person who died several thousand years ago was 165 cm, and the weight could be within 50 kg. His age at the time of death was also determined - 45-46 years.
Due to the fact that the body of the deceased was covered with ice, the decomposition processes stopped. The weight of the corpse was 38 kg.
Residues of food were found in the digestive system. The intestines of ancient man from the Chalcolithic era (Copper-Stone Age) contained elements of bran, various fruits and roots. There were also remains of muscle fibers believed to belong to chamois and deer. This means that before his death, about 8 hours before his death, Ötzi ate meat.
Hair studies have shown that they contain higher levels of lead and copper. Perhaps during his lifetime the ancient man was engaged in the extraction of these metals.
The corpse lacked the top layer of skin - the epidermis, which indicates natural mummification in permafrost conditions.
Scientists discovered that Ötzi's third and fourth ribs were crushed. However, these injuries occurred after his death. This was determined using computed tomography. There is an assumption that during his lifetime Ötzi was a sorcerer or priest. This version is supported by finds: an amulet that was found near the corpse, and a prehistoric sanctuary that was also discovered in the area.
Judging by the pollen of various plants found in the mummy's body, scientists were able to establish that Ötzi died in late spring - early summer, and they also found out in which region he lived.
Using radiography, it was established that the ancient man suffered from a common disease today - arthritis.
Tattoos on the body
Interestingly, scientists discovered more than 50 tattoos on the ice man’s body. They looked like dots, various lines and crosses. Nowadays special needles are used to apply images to the body, but the tattooing technique of those times was somewhat different. Small cuts were made on the skin, and then they were sprinkled with charcoal.
What is the cause of death?
Initially, it was assumed that the found person simply froze to death in the mountains. However, a little later other versions appeared. It has been hypothesized that Ötzi was murdered, and there is irrefutable evidence for this:
- there was a knife in the corpse's hand;
- there are many injuries on the body, including injuries to the spine, ribs and nose;
- the mummy's right hand was also injured;
- signs of frostbite on the finger were noticed on the leg;
- there are wounds and bruises on all parts of the body.
Also during the research, traces of human blood were discovered, which belonged to four different people. Three samples of biomaterial were found on a quiver of arrows. One of them belongs to Ötzi, the other two belong to completely different people. The cape found near the mummy contained the blood of another. Perhaps there was a conflict between these people.
During research conducted in 2001, scientists discovered an arrowhead lodged in the shoulder. It was impossible to pull it out on your own, since it went in very deep.
Researchers suggest that in the area where the mummy was found, over 5 thousand years ago there was a fight between representatives of different tribes. The wounded Ötzi could have gotten lost in the mountains and, exhausted, died.
There is another assumption that the ice man died in another place, and his fellow tribesmen left his body to rest on the top.
In 1991, in the Alps, two German tourists made a terrible, and at the same time, interesting discovery in the Semiluan glacier. They discovered a very well-preserved body of a prehistoric man. It was so well preserved that at first people thought they had found a modern corpse. This find caused a sensation among scientists. They wrote about her in all scientific and science fiction magazines. Scientists and journalists thought for a long time what to call the amazing find, and in 1997, on July 2, it was dubbed the “Ice Man.”
Many people call Iceman" - Otzi. This name was given to it by the Viennese reporter Karl Wendl because the prehistoric find was discovered near the Ötztal valley. The photo shows Ötzi's perfectly preserved hand. (Robert Clark)
During the research, it turned out that the Ice Man was approximately 50 years old when he died. In Neolithic times, few people lived to such an advanced age. Scientists were so captivated by the find that, with the help of computer graphics, they were able to recreate its appearance at that time in the smallest detail. They even managed to establish through DNA analysis that Ötzi had brown eyes. (Robert Clark)
Every small detail of Ötzi was important for research. Even the melt water that formed after its gradual defrosting was collected for bacterial research. (Robert Clark)
The Iceman's autopsy took 9 hours, but then the body was frozen back to avoid decomposition. (Robert Clark)
And this is the place where tourists discovered their find. At first, no one could imagine how old this mummy was, so simple workers removed it from the glacier using the most ordinary equipment, damaging Ötzi’s hip in the process. (Robert Clark)
And this is a vivid example of those times. The Iceman has more than 50 of them. They were applied by rubbing coal dust into the cuts. Since most of the tattoos coincide with acupuncture points, scientists believe that he did them not for decoration, but for treatment. (Robert Clark)
With this photo, scientists recreated the pose in which Ötzi lay for many years in the glacier. Along with him was his equipment: two baskets, a stone knife with a wooden handle, a copper axe, a quiver of arrows and a two-meter bow. Two types of tinder fungi were also found nearby. One was used as medicine and the other to start a fire. (Robert Clark)
The red arrow on the x-ray marks the location of the tip in Ötzi's body. (Robert Clark)
Scientists found that the Ice Man had stomach problems, which could even cause him to have an attack of appendicitis. 8 hours before his death, Ötzi had a snack. (Robert Clark)
Neurosurgeons determined that the Iceman had a head injury. (Robert Clark)
The photo shows a very valuable item from Neolithic times. A stone knife with an ash handle may have helped the Iceman more than once. (Robert Clark)
Only people with high social status used such an ax. The presence of it in the Iceman suggests that these belonged to the nobles of that time. (Robert Clark)
In addition to two ready-made arrows, in Ötzi’s quiver, blanks for 12 more arrows were found. (Robert Clark)
The Iceman may have been the first to collect a herbarium. They found a maple leaf on him, which for some reason he carried with him. (Robert Clark)
More than two decades have passed since the discovery of Ötzi - the Ice Man (or - Ice Mummy), but many of his secrets still haunt scientists. This one, whose mummified remains are still being studied by experts, is considered one of the first victims of premeditated murder known to science. His body with signs of a fight was found in the Ötztal valley (according to another transcription - Otztal) on the border of Austria and Italy. That is why he received the nickname Ötzi (Otzi).
Acupuncture for Ötzi
At the beginning of 2009, we managed to solve another Ötzi mystery related to his tattoos. From the very beginning, researchers noticed that the ice man's body was covered with multiple "drawings" - a total of 57 complex images of dots and lines. These symbols were located on the lower spine, right ankle and inside of the left knee. For a long time, it was believed that the drawings were elements of the initiation process - the rite of passage of a young man into a man and his transition into adulthood.
In addition, tattoos were associated with Oetzi’s professional activities - the Austrian ethnographer Hans Heid, based on indirect facts, suggested that the Cro-Magnon man was a sorcerer or priest. Indeed, soon after the discovery of the mummy, a previously unknown prehistoric sanctuary was discovered nearby, and the caveman could well have been heading there. This assumption is also supported by his age - about 46 years old - and the amulet found on the deceased person.
However, contrary to this opinion, recent studies by Austrian scientists have shown that the main purpose of ice man tattoos was health care.
Most of the patterns applied to the Cro-Magnon body are located directly on acupuncture points, and the order of their arrangement is the same as that an acupuncturist might choose when treating arthritis. The presence of this disease in Ötzi was discovered by analysis of bone tissue almost immediately after the mummy was removed from the glacier. Ötzi also suffered from spinal pain.
Due to the nature of his intended activity, the primitive priest was forced to make long journeys across hilly terrain. and this is shown by the proportions of the leg bones, which were formed, apparently, from an early age. Although, in general, wandering was not typical for Cro-Magnons, and therefore diseases of the leg joints were not common.
Perhaps Ötzi himself or the tribe’s healer performed acupuncture to relieve pain symptoms. According to the assumption of Austrian ethnographers, the one who covered Ötzi’s body with medicinal markings made rather deep punctures and incisions in the skin.
By analyzing the tattoos, they found out that they were made with a silicon tip covered with soot - microscopic fragments of silicon and double carbon atoms arising during the combustion of wood were found on the tissues of the skin.
For research, specialists used an electron microscope, with which they studied both caveman tattoos and areas of skin free from drawings - for comparison. The discovery of such a clear correspondence between tattoos and acupuncture points came as a surprise to scientists - after all, for many years it was believed that the practice of acupuncture appeared in China a thousand years later!
First meeting with Ötzi
1991, September 19 - on the Hauslab pass at an altitude of 3,210 m, German climbers Erika and Hemus Simon, who were about to climb one of the Alpine peaks, noticed the body of a man bound in ice. Seeing the corpse, the couple decided that they had found the remains of one of the unlucky modern climbers (this kind of discovery happened more often than usual in the Alps that season).
The gendarmes called from Innsbruck carried out the usual criminal examination of the body in such cases. Its result amazed everyone - this man died at least several centuries ago. Next to the body, shoes made of goatskin and something like a cloak made of grass were preserved. A copper ax and a quiver of arrows were also discovered there.
A more thorough study showed that the person discovered at the pass died about 5,200 years ago. Based on the name of the local town and the valley under the pass, the found mummy was dubbed Ötzi, or the Ice Man. Sometimes he is called Tyrolean Man.
He is now at the Institute of Anatomy in Innsbruck. The storage temperature is the same as inside the glacier – 6 °C. Ötzi lies wrapped in plastic-coated cloth, under several layers of crushed ice. Once every two to three weeks, a special procedure is performed that prevents the ice from melting. During this time, scientists transfer the mummy to a laboratory equipped with special instruments to take x-rays or take the smallest particles of the body for analysis.
Research and findings
We were able to learn quite a lot about our distant European ancestor. They determined his age to be about 46 years old, height to be 158 cm, and weight to be at least 50 kg. The Tyrolean's health was deplorable: rotten teeth, damaged spine and joints, a broken nose, frostbitten little toe, broken ribs.
Ötzi's remains were studied by a whole army of experts. Using X-rays, tomography and endoscopy, they were able to examine the mummy from the stomach to the very tips of the nails.
By the time the Cro-Magnon man died, the civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia were already engaged in agriculture and trade and had written language, and Egypt was a powerful empire. Lagging behind by several centuries, Europeans were just beginning to move from fruit gathering and hunting to agriculture and cattle breeding, as well as a sedentary lifestyle. The first attempts were made to sculpt pottery. During Ötzi's era, Eastern Europeans could raise goats, sheep, cattle, and pigs. They plowed their fields with a wooden plow and grew wheat, barley, flax, peas and lentils.
Thanks to the Ice Man, it was possible to fill many gaps in our knowledge about the life and clothing of ancient people. It turned out that representatives of this distant era could already make shoes from leather, and they used dry grass as insulation.
The primitive Tyrolean wore a wide loincloth supported by a belt. The upper part of the body was covered by a shirt made from thin multi-colored strips of leather. To protect himself from the cold, he wore a fur hat and sleeveless cape made of woven straw, similar to those worn by all European and Asian shepherds from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the 19th century. In addition, Ötzi had 2 more wicker items: a dagger sheath and a net. Previously, scientists believed that in the late Neolithic era people already mastered weaving techniques, but as it turned out, the Ice Man’s skill was limited to simple weaving of strips.
The Tyrolean man was perfectly equipped to survive in the harsh climate. He wore a belt with a pocket made of calfskin, which contained a bone awl, a flint consisting of tinder and a piece of sulfur pyrite, as well as three tools made of flint - a scraper, an awl and a sharp blade that looked like a razor. In addition to the dagger, on the belt they found a tool intended for minor repairs: a plate made of very hard deer antler, inserted into a handle and shaped like a modern technical diamond for cutting glass. Two mushrooms with the properties of modern antibiotics were found in a camp first aid kit. And in one of the 2 vessels, Ötzi kept coals covered with fresh maple leaves.
The blade of the Cro-Magnon ax was made of copper. This fact has given rise to many speculations. According to the latest archaeological data, this metal was first smelted in Anatolia between the 7th and 6th millennia BC. BC, and its production contributed to the development of the Sumerian city-states in the fourth millennium BC. e. In Western Europe, copper appeared only in the third millennium. Blades of similar daggers were found in Italy, the south of France and Spain at sites of settlements that existed 2,500 years BC. e.
Who killed Ötzi?
Despite many years of research into the Cro-Magnon man, the mystery of his death still remains open. At first, researchers decided that Ötzi left his village as a result of a quarrel, was ambushed on the way, was pierced by an arrow and died due to heavy blood loss. And a snowstorm, not uncommon in these parts, hastened its end.
Now scientists believe that Otzi died as a result of a fight that lasted for two days. Traces of blood from 4 people were found on the body of the mummy and objects found nearby. The blood of 2 people was found on a quiver with arrows, there is also the blood of Ötzi himself, and the blood of a fourth person is soaked in a cape found near the body. Forensic experts agreed that Ötzi, saving his wounded comrade, carried him on his shoulder.
In addition, using new methods of forensic medicine and computed axial tomography data, it was established that the loss of blood caused by the injury only led to loss of consciousness. And Ötzi died from a blow to the head with a blunt object. That is, either he himself broke his head, hitting a stone when falling, or he was finished off by a blow from an enemy who was not satisfied with the sight of a man pierced by an arrow and bleeding.
