The man from the past. Ötzi is the name given to one of Europe’s most well-preserved mummified bodies. The body was found in the Ötzal Alps in 1991, and examinations tells us that he lived over 5000 years ago(Ca.3400-3100BCE). After his death the body dehydrated and his remains were mummified naturally in the glacier ice.

When the operation to take care of his body started, numerous leather fragments, string, pieces of hide and clumps of hay came to light. This were pieces of Ötzi’s clothing, made from hide, leather and braided grᴀss. A coat, a belt, a pair of leggings, a loincloth, shoes and a bearskin cap were found. Other items spread around him were a copper axe, flint dagger, a long stick(later identified as a bow) and a quiver containing 2 finished arrows and 12 arrow shafts.

Also the remains of some kind of backpack and two birch-bark containers, one of them containing traces of maple leaves and charcoal fragments. Further examinations showed that his stomach contained traces of various types of grains, plants, fruits and meat.

61 tattoos in the form of lines and crosses were found on his body. These tattoos were not made by a needle like modern tattoos, instead they were made by a fine incisions into which pulverised charcoal was rubbed. Later examinations along with x-ray revealed a flint arrowhead in his left shoulder. The entry wound was discovered in his back.

The arrow shattered the scapula and damaged nerves and blood vessels indicating that Ötzi might have bled to death. His head also suffered a serious injury, this could have been caused by a fall when the arrow hit him or a blow to the head. He must have been involved in some kind of fight a few days before his death since his right hand shows a deep cut. Ötzi was about 45 years old when he died, 160cm(5ft. 3in) tall and weighed around 50kg. His body and belongings are displayed in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy.