Tzi The Iceman Information And Writing Activity
Ötzi the Iceman
Named after the Otzal Alps where he was found in 1991, which is on the border of Austria and Italy. Also known as “Frozen Fritz” or Similaun Man.
Body dated to around 3300 BCE (before common era)- that’s the 34th century BCE or 5310 years old!
Earliest specimen of European Chalcolithic Age; so well preserved as the body was covered with ice soon after death.
From the Copper Age (or Chalcolithic Age) which was the transition between the Neolithic (Stone) age and the Bronze Age, with an overlap of tools from each age.
Believed to have died in a skirmish.
165cm tall (5ft 5 inches) and weighed about 50kg at death
Aged about 45 when he died (elderly by Neolithic standards).
Because authorities did not realise Otzi’s age (they thought it was the body of a modern person who had come to misadventure in the mountains), they did not use archaeologists to exhume Otzi- instead they used a jackhammer! It was only when he was taken to a morgue that they realised his true age, but by then they had lost some of his possessions to those taking souvenirs and had also pierced his hip in the process of removal.
From forensic investigation, scientists are able to tell about Otzi’s:
Life and death
Age at death
Health
Lifestyle and possible occupations
What he ate before death
Chemical traces
Cause(s) of death
Where he originated from
Forensic science used to discover information about Otzi:
Carbon dating
Isotopic dating of his tooth enamel (atomic structure examined).
Dating and examination of pollen and foodstuffs in his stomach/clothes/in possessions
Medical imaging (x-ray and MRI etc.)
-DNA analysis used to determine his ancestry
Study of some soldier’s bodies that were found in the area dating back to 1918 who were also frozen- it is hoped study of their bodies would provide information on how the ice has affected Otzi
What we know from forensic investigation of Otzi:
From intestinal analysis we know that he ate some goat meat (chamois) and some red deer
Named after the Otzal Alps where he was found in 1991, which is on the border of Austria and Italy. Also known as “Frozen Fritz” or Similaun Man.
Body dated to around 3300 BCE (before common era)- that’s the 34th century BCE or 5310 years old!
Earliest specimen of European Chalcolithic Age; so well preserved as the body was covered with ice soon after death.
From the Copper Age (or Chalcolithic Age) which was the transition between the Neolithic (Stone) age and the Bronze Age, with an overlap of tools from each age.
Believed to have died in a skirmish.
165cm tall (5ft 5 inches) and weighed about 50kg at death
Aged about 45 when he died (elderly by Neolithic standards).
Because authorities did not realise Otzi’s age (they thought it was the body of a modern person who had come to misadventure in the mountains), they did not use archaeologists to exhume Otzi- instead they used a jackhammer! It was only when he was taken to a morgue that they realised his true age, but by then they had lost some of his possessions to those taking souvenirs and had also pierced his hip in the process of removal.
From forensic investigation, scientists are able to tell about Otzi’s:
Life and death
Age at death
Health
Lifestyle and possible occupations
What he ate before death
Chemical traces
Cause(s) of death
Where he originated from
Forensic science used to discover information about Otzi:
Carbon dating
Isotopic dating of his tooth enamel (atomic structure examined).
Dating and examination of pollen and foodstuffs in his stomach/clothes/in possessions
Medical imaging (x-ray and MRI etc.)
-DNA analysis used to determine his ancestry
Study of some soldier’s bodies that were found in the area dating back to 1918 who were also frozen- it is hoped study of their bodies would provide information on how the ice has affected Otzi
What we know from forensic investigation of Otzi:
From intestinal analysis we know that he ate some goat meat (chamois) and some red deer