There are still a few things unknown about the glacier mummy Otzi, such as how he died and what caused it still remains a mystery. There are a lot of theories about Otzi’s death. How did he live and who was he?
The discovery
In the summer of 1991, two mountain climbers found it in the Otz Valley. It is also named after this valley because it was found here. Hence the name Ötzi.
Research
After doing a lot of research, they now know a lot about Ötzi himself, but also about the time in which he lived. Items of his clothing and utensils have also been found.
Who was Ötzi?
Ötzi was a man who is said to have lived about 5,300 years ago. So he lived in the Stone Age. He mainly lived by hunting. Of course, this wasn’t all eaten at once. Some of this meat was saved for the winter because it was then more difficult to find food.
What have they discovered?
He died at the age of 46. He had a tattoo on his back and worn teeth. He also suffered from worms and they found a piece of arrow in his back. They learned this because researchers found bacteria on Ötzi’s body.
The cause of death
His village was probably attacked and he and his family were able to escape just in time. They apparently caught him later. He was shot in the shoulder and managed to get away just in time. He just didn’t have any warm clothes with him and since he was injured he didn’t get far. Because he was exhausted he fell down and eventually died.
Later they also found a piece of arrow in his back. This is how they discovered that he must have been shot in the back with an arrow. He also had a cut on his hand. By examining the blood they found on his coat and on his axe, they also discovered that he had fought with four other people.
The curse
Some people think there is a curse on this glacier mummy. They think this because 10 studies have already died after examining him. What was striking was that these were all people in their 60s. It was especially strange because many more people have examined the mummy and they are still alive.