Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991, has long been considered a remarkable window into the Stone Age. The prevailing narrative suggests he was fatally wounded, sought refuge in the Alps, and was quickly encased in ice, preserving his body and belongings for millennia. However, recent research challenges this long-held belief, proposing a different story of Ötzi’s demise and mummification.
The Ötzi excavation site, high in the Alps.The excavation site where Ötzi the Iceman was discovered, high in the Italian Alps. Photo: © Amt für Archäologie, Autonome Provinz Bozen. Used with permission
Challenging the Conventional Narrative
A team of archaeologists, led by glacial archaeologist Lars Pilø, argues that Ötzi wasn’t immediately frozen in place. Instead, they propose that his remains were repeatedly exposed to the elements over a period of 1,500 years. This contradicts the idea of a rapid freeze and continuous entombment in ice. Their research, published in The Holocene, suggests the find circumstances are not miraculous but align with typical glacial archaeological site processes.
A Dynamic Glacial Environment
The traditional narrative emphasizes Ötzi’s preservation in a gully, shielded from the shifting ice above. Pilø’s team challenges this, arguing that Ötzi likely died elsewhere on the mountain and was transported into the gully by natural environmental changes. This implies that his remains thawed and refroze multiple times, moving within the mountainous terrain as the environment shifted.
Implications for Future Discoveries
This new perspective increases the likelihood of discovering other ice mummies. If Ötzi’s preservation wasn’t a unique event reliant on exceptional circumstances, it suggests that similar finds could emerge from melting ice as the climate warms. This is a promising prospect for glacial archaeology.
Ötzi’s fur cap, as seen when it was first discovered.Ötzi’s fur cap, a remarkable artifact discovered alongside his remains. Photo: Andreas Lippert, used with permission.
Rethinking Ötzi’s Belongings
The research also suggests that the damage to Ötzi’s tools, which include a backpack frame, fur cap, quiver, and an ax, was caused by environmental exposure rather than conflict. This revises previous interpretations that attributed the damage to his supposed attacker.
The Secrets of the Ice
Pilø, also the author of the Secrets of the Ice blog (https://secretsoftheice.com/news/2022/11/07/otzi/), highlights the increasing frequency of glacial archaeological discoveries due to climate change. Ice patches, gentler on preserved materials than dynamic glaciers, are yielding remarkable artifacts. Recent finds include hunting tools in Norway and even a Viking-era dog, its leash, and other belongings in a former mountain pass. Last year, a 1,300-year-old ski emerged from thawing ice.
A New Understanding of the Past
While not as extraordinary as Ötzi, these discoveries underscore the potential for more finds as ice continues to melt. This presents both challenges and opportunities for archaeologists, offering a glimpse into human history previously hidden beneath the ice. The revised understanding of Ötzi’s preservation suggests that more ancient remains may be revealed, further enriching our understanding of the past.
Ötzi’s Legacy
Ötzi, a contemporary of Tutankhamun in terms of his distance from our time, has provided invaluable insights into the Stone Age. Analysis of his remains has revealed details about his diet, including ibex, red deer, cereals, and toxic fern. Isotope analysis of his ax traced its origins to Southern Tuscany, and even his 61 tattoos have been meticulously documented. The new research adds another layer to his story, prompting us to re-evaluate the circumstances of his life and death, and the dynamic environment that preserved him for millennia.
