In September 2020, a melting glacier in Austria revealed a shocking discovery—the body of a long-dead man.
The glaciers in Austrian Alps have been melting rapidly due to climate change, and this ancient mummy was one of the unexpected finds that researchers have come across. The remains were found in the Similaun Glacier, which is located in the Ötztal Alps near the Italian-Austrian border at an altitude of around 10,500 feet.
The remarkably well-preserved body of the man, nicknamed Ötzi (after the region’s Ötztal valley), was discovered on 19 September 1991 by two German hikers on a nearby ridge. The discovery sparked an international sensation, with the man’s intricate tattoos and the fact that he was dressed in a fur coat and boots hinting at him being from a distant time, as modern clothes weren’t available in that part of the world at the time.
Forensic investigations and radiocarbon dating soon revealed that the man was estimated to have lived from 3350 to 3100 BC. After intense speculation as to who the man was and how he came to be in the glacier, more evidence was found during a 2011 autopsy that revealed intricate tattoos throughout his body and the cause of his death from a fatal arrow wound in his shoulder.
What the autopsy also revealed was the fact that Ötzi had ingested a high-fat meal likely composed of ibex meat shortly before his death. This indicates that he was likely a hunter, foraging for the ibex that is common in the region today.
The ancient mummy of Ötzi has become one of the most important archaeological finds in human history, as it gives scientists a unique view into the daily life and death of a prehistoric man. With the help of modern technology, researchers have been able to piece together Ötzi’s life story with surprising accuracy, and today they are continuing to examine the mummy to try and unravel the mysteries of the ancient world.