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The Iceman Reveals New Secrets (October 31, 2003, Two)

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Program Summary

In 1991, two German hikers traveling in the high Alps stumbled across the frozen remains of a human. At first it was thought that the body was contemporary, but it turned out to be someone more amazing—an Ice Age man who had died on the mountain more than 5,000 years before. Oetzi, named after the Oetzi Valley where he was found, has given us a fascinating glimpse into prehistoric life.

Over the years, through visual examination, x-rays, DNA testing, and analysis of the artifacts found with him, scientists determined that he was 46, that he was probably fatally wounded in a fight, and that he may have been a coppersmith. But the answer to one question continued to elude them: Where was Oetzi from? He certainly didn’t live on that mountain—he was found alone, and no other human remains have been uncovered there. The DNA samples recovered from the body were poorly preserved, which prevented researchers from matching them with DNA from modern humans who live in the neighborhood.

The mystery may finally have been solved. New studies that analyze the minerals in Oetzi’s teeth and the pollens in his intestines indicate that he actually hadn’t wandered that far from home. The evidence points to the South Tyrol, an area in northern Italy that borders the Austrian-Italian border about 60 miles southeast. This knowledge, along with further analysis of the items found with the body, may shed more light on trade patterns of the area. Yet, in spite of all the new information, we may never know how Oetzi came to be so high in the mountains or why he was killed.

Guests

Dr. Wolfgang Muller, geochemist in the Research School of Earth Sciences of the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia

Article Discussed

“Origin and Migration of the Alpine Iceman,” by W. Müller, et al. “Science,” vol. 302 p. 862, October 31, 2003.

Related Links and Resources

BBC News, September 16, 2003: Iceman's Final Meal
BBC News, July 26, 2001: Scientists Solve Iceman Mystery

For Discussion:

• Who is Oetzi? How old is he? Where was he found?
• How did archaeologists determine his age?
• What are the theories about his death? What clues support these theories?
• From where do scientists think Oetzi comes? What evidence leads them to think this?
• What occupation do they think Oetzi had?
• In what other environments are mummies found? What causes mummification?

Activities

Sink your teeth into it. Whyfiles’ Secrets of the Mummy gives in-depth scientific details of the research done on Oetzi’s teeth and the contents of his intestines. Plants and the Iceman: Ötzi's Last Journey takes a closer look the flora found in, on, and around the mummy.

Inca dinka doo! Oetzi is not the only ice mummy. Read the fascinating, first-person account of the discovery of Juanita the Ice Maiden, a frozen, mummified girl found in the Andes mountains of Peru, at Ice Treasures of the Inca (National Geographic.com). A detailed journal and sound bites make the expedition come alive.

Afterlife lessons. Two comprehensive lesson plans from Discovery School cover the subject of mummies and mummification very well. Who Killed the Iceman? focuses on Oetzi and Juanita, while the broader Making Mummies examines natural and embalmed mummies from cultures all over the world.

Frozen in time. Buried Treasures, a lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network, is built upon Lost Worlds Rediscovered as Canadian Glaciers Melt, an article about the discovery of a frozen, 500-year-old man in Canada’s Yukon Territory. In addition to discussing archaeological methods and interpretation, the lesson also discusses clashes with Native Canadians over the disturbance of ancestral remains.

The mummy-er the merrier. Ice Mummies, a series of NOVA broadcasts, is another good site that documents discoveries about ice mummies. What’s different is that it also delves into the politics of preservation: Who owns the remains? The people who found them, the country they were found in, or the world at large? The Teachers Guide centers on the Peruvian mummies. The entertaining Mummies Unwrapped site from Thinkquest has fun and funny facts and activities about all sorts of mummies, even four-footed ones. Visit the Ice Mummies page for info about some very unusual corpsicles. Students can perform the mummy rap found on the Mummy Stars page while munching on homemade Yummy Mummy cookies.

Wrap it up. If you want something done right, do it yourself. And that’s just what students get to do at sites that give them the chance to be forensic archaeologists. They’ll unwrap virtual mummies at National Geographic, including Inca mummy bundles from the Peruvian desert and an Egyptian mummy (Mummy Bundles of Puruchuco and The Mummy Roadshow: Care to Unravel a Mystery?). The Virtual Mummy: Unwrapping a Mummy by Mouse Click discusses how computers have become an indispensable tool for archaeologists.

An apple a day. Students can make their own mummies at Mummy Dearest, a lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network that studies the science of mummification. Apples rather than humans are used to demonstrate the process.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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