Iceman, also known as Ötzi and Similaun Man, is the well-preserved natural mummy of a man who lived circa 3300 BCE. The mummy was found in 1991 in the Ötztal Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy. He is currently on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy.
Ötzi’s body was frozen soon after his death using modern forensic techniques. It is believed that he died from exposure to cold during a winter storm high in the mountains. His body has since been used for scientific study, providing new insights into prehistoric Europe and human physiology.
Scientists believe that Ötzi lived sometime between 3400 and 3100 BCE. He was about 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) tall and weighed approximately 110 pounds (50 kg). He had dark brown hair and eyes, and his DNA showed that he was closely related to people living today in Sardinia and Corsica.
Ötzi was found with several items including a copper axe head, a flint knife, a bow stave, an unstrung bow along with 14 arrows (11 of which were finished), a quiver made from deer hide containing two unfinished arrows; clothing made from various animal skins including sheepskin leggings stuffed with grass; two stone knives strapped to his belt; a deerskin cap; shoes made from bearskin with deerhide laces; a cloak sewn together from furs of several different animals fastened with bone needles & thread made of sinew…and more!
A team of international scientists led by Drs. Konrad Spindler (Innsbruck University) and James Dickson (University College London) have been studying Ötzi since 1994 when he arrived at the Innsbruck University for CT scanning and other tests. Their findings have been published in numerous books and scientific journals.