Otzi (also called Ötzi, the Iceman, the Similaun Man, the Man from Hauslabjoch, Homo tyrolensis) is a well-preserved natural mummy of a man who lived about 5300 years ago. The body and belongings of Otzi were discovered on 19 September 1991 in the Schnalstal glacier in South Tyrol, Italy. He is Europe’s oldest known human mummy and has offered an unprecedented view of Chalcolithic (Copper Age) Europeans. His body and belongings are currently on display in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, South Tyrol.
Otzi was approximately 45 years old at the time of his death and stood about 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) tall. He had brown eyes, broken blood vessels on his face consistent with frostbite, and dark hair styled in braids. Analysis of his stomach contents revealed that his last meal consisted of meat (most likely ibex), bread made from einkorn wheat flour with poppy seeds, fruits including bilberries and grapes as well as hazelnuts and garlic mustard greens. DNA analysis showed that he belonged to Haplogroup G2a2b2a1 (P15).
Because Otzi died high up in the Alps, far from any habitation or settlement at the time, it is likely that he was a shepherd or herdsman who got lost while out tending to his flock. It is also possible that he was fleeing some sort of conflict or danger as there were multiple stab wounds found on his body which suggest he may have been involved in a fight prior to his death. The cause of death remains unknown but it is theorized that he succumbed to exposure after sustaining injuries from a fall into a crevasse coupled with severe hypothermia.