Why otzi the iceman died

The distribution of these plants in the Alps 5, years ago was quite similar to the distribution today. But researchers claim that there were several low altitude mosses—not just flat neckera— which could only have been brought to the site by the Iceman himself. The Iceman may have brushed up against mosses in the gorge, stocked up on some for his supply kit, or used them to wrap his food or dress his wounds.

Similarly, Ursula Wierer , an archaeologist from the provincial department of archaeology in Florence, Italy, says that "there is lots of evidence that the Iceman lived on the southern side of the Alps and that he ascended from that side of the Alps, to the site where he died.

As such, they're "really uncommon in archeobotany," says Logan Kistler , curator of archaeobotany and archaeogenomics at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. They're pretty ephemeral in the environment. All rights reserved.

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Height: The mummy is 1. Weight: The mummy weighs approx. In life, he would have weighed about 50 kg. Since there is very little subcutaneous fat on the body, he must have cut quite a wiry, sporty figure. Hair: he epidermis outer layer of the human skin is quickly shed in the course of decomposition, and body hair is lost.

During excavations, one fingernail and two toenails were retrieved. The eggs of whipworm, an irritating intestinal parasite, were found in his digestive tract.

Numerous examinations have revealed information about his state of health. The minerals in his teeth shed light on the composition of his drinking water and thus of where he lived as a child. He speculates that it was probably due to "some strong personal emotion". Angelika Fleckinger from the Museum of Archaeology says she is very happy so much progress has been made into the big mystery of Oetzi's death. The offender "got away with that murder - which I don't like, being in charge of investigations," he said with a wry smile.

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