Oetzi the Iceman
Posted on 2004-10-22 at 08:01
Oetzi was a neolithic man whose mummified body was found in 1991 and who lived around the year 3300 BC. He had 57 tattoos many of which cooresponded to modern acupuncture locations that would have treated ailments he had. He used a copper ax and a longbow. He had on his person a birch fungus mushroom, a plant whose primary purpose is as an antibacterial agent. He also possessed a fairly complex fire starting kit. Evidence is inconclusive, but it appears he may have died fighting a skirmish with a rival group. DNA from four other people werre found on his person (notably the ax and an arrowhead) and he had an arrow wound in his shoulderblade. He appears to have died from blood loss. What must have gone through Oetzi's mind as he placed his equipment down neatly beside himself, laid down, and died? There is a novel in that body screaming to be written.