Bibliography
1. South Tyrol Museum of Archaeoloy (2003) "Otzi- The Iceman" http://www.iceman.it/en/node/233 2003. (17/03/2012)
2. Ellie Crystal (1995) "Otzi the iceman" http://www.crystalinks.com/otzi.html (no date of publication) (19/3/2012)
3. Viewzone (2004) "Otzi: The 5000 year old murder case--SOLVED!" http://www.viewzone.com/oetzi.html 2008. (20/3/2012)
4. British Broadcasting Corporation (2007) "Death of the Iceman" http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/iceman.shtml (no date of publication) (15/3/2012)
5. News Science (2008) "Otzi the Iceman: Up close and personal" http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17070-otzi-ice-man (no date of publication) (20/03/2012)
6. James.M.Deem (1998) "About Otzi" http://www.mummytombs.com/otzi/findspot.htm 2010. (20/3/12)

Explain the issues relating to the custodianship and ownership of the Iceman and the ethics involved in displaying his human remains?

 

Still to this day there is no clear answer over the controversy in regards to who owned the Iceman.

"Was it Austria, Italy, Scientists or the Historians?"

 There were territorial disputes between Austria and Italy at the time and the discovery and ownership of Otzi simply en-flamed these disagreements. Ultimately, the body was discovered 96 meters into the Italian Border.

'Austria and Italy fought a bitter battle over custody, which was resolved only when authorities confirmed that his find spot was located in Italy.This meant that Italy was allowed to claim the Iceman, renovate a building to house his exhibit, and reap substantial financial rewards form tourists and documentary filmmakers.'
( http://www.mummytombs.com/otzi/findspot.htm , accessed 20/03/2012).

Through the constant bickering, Austria argued that Otzi could have been Austrian, hence, another political question arose. After thorough scientific investigation and research, it was confirmed that he was born in the Italian side of the border (this was a long time before the border even existed!)

It is now accepted that, as the find spot was actually just 96 meters inside the Italian border, it should be the Italian claim to physical possession should be accepted. This is the case, however Austrian scientific input in regards to the continued investigation of the Iceman would be welcomed.

"Today, the remains of Otzi the Iceman now lie in a purpose built facility entrusted
to the supervision of The South Tyrol Museaum of Archaeology in Bolzano in Italy.
The remains are stored in a nitrogen rich atmosphere under the conditions of controlled
temperature and humidity for preservation against decay and damaging moulds but can be
seen through a viewing window by interested Visitors"

(http://www.age-of-thesage.org/archaeology/otzi_iceman_genetic_mapping.html accessed 20/03/2012)

But some questions still remain: Is it ethical to allow people to view the Iceman through the glass window? Is it ethical to investigate the body? Is it ethical to excavate the remains site?


It is fair enough to say that excavating human remains, and most importantly, the Iceman has led to new discoveries and information that can be obtained. Without the study of the Iceman, we would not know about the lifestyle in which the people in those times had lived, the items they used, the food they ate and the landscape in relation to where they lived.

Some people believe that the remains should be reburied because it is wrong and disrespectful to have bodies investigated and shown on display, let alone tampered with. Through my research I can conclude that the Iceman was treated with respect and was investigated carefully- but my idea is highly subjective as the Austrian and Italian cultures may have their own, various ways of respecting the dead.

Reference:
              http://www.mummytombs.com/otzi/identity.htm
              http://www.mummytombs.com/otzi/findspot.htm
             

Account for the changing interpretations about the Iceman's cause of death, from the time of his discovery to the present.

  

Throughout the years of historical investigation, there was no clear answer to how the Iceman died. Interpretations about his cause of death kept changing, in accordance to different discoveries in regards to his physical features and items found with him.

 

Spindler initially explained Otzi's death through a natural disaster where the iceman was simply a "Victim of the weather" and suffered from hypothermia following a sudden storm in the Alps.

Using X-Rays and Cat scans, it was revealed that Otzi's ribs were severely distorted so Spindler concluded his death through the 'Disaster Theory' where Otzi was severely wounded from a violent encounter within his village and fled to the mountains for refuge where he then dies of hypothermia.

Through continued investigation and the implementation of new scientific techniques, Spindler's initially accepted his 'Disaster Theory' has proven invalid.

After ten years of extensive researching, Paul Gosner X-Rayed the body using Computerised Tomography and discovered a significantly overlooked feature. In Otzi's shoulder there was a foreign body, later identified as a flint arrowhead throughout the cat scan. This significantly overturned previous theories of the Iceman's death and promoted a new, more convincing one.

Otzi was believed to have been attacked and when he tried to escape he had been shot by an arrow but still managed to escape into the mountains. He managed to pull out the arrow shaft but not the arrowhead. Once reaching his destination, he was suffering from exhaustion, shock and a great loss of blood.

An analysis of the area of flesh the arrow has pierced indicated that it had hit a lot of arteries which would have contributed significantly to his death. 

"Through the use of Scientific technology and methodology as well as some historical reference, the  Iceman's cause of death was finally established"

Reference:

                   http://www.viewzone.com/oetzi.html

                   http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17070-otzi-ice-man
                   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128074826.htm

Two items found with the Iceman or to do with his body and explain how they enhance our understanding of the man and times in which he lived?

There were a multitude of items that were found with the Iceman including an unfinished yellow longbow, a bronze axe, arrows, a leather pouch, a woven grass cloak, a leather vest, shoes, a flint knife, an ash handle and an stone arrow that had been embedded into his shoulder. Body contents showed two meals, one of ibex meat, the second of red deer meet, both consumed with supposedly some grain of corn.

An examination of Otzi's tools indicated that the initially perceived 'bronze axe' was in fact made out of copper which exemplifies that Otzi's time was more advanced than expected that he had lived at the end of the Stone Age and beginning of the Copper Age. This is further reinforced by the arsenic (a chemical element) that was discovered in his hair through a proton microphone which indicates that Otzi was exposed to smelting.

An analysis of the arrow embedded within Otzi's shoulder suggests that Neolithic people (people of the 'new stone era') had a general  understanding of the ballistic (science of mechanic) associated in making effective and long lasting arrows. This is further reinforced through the feathers on the arrow head itself- possibly a theory of the feathers forming a more smooth, faster journey throughout the air?

"A copper axe with a yew handle, an unfinished long bow, a kit filled with spices, a flint knife"
(Left to right) 

Reference:

                   http://www.viewzone.com/oetzi.html

                   http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/iceman.shtml

When, Where and How was the iceman Discovered?

The Iceman was discovered in 1991 by two German hikers and tourists going by the names of Erika and Helmut Simon near the Austrian/Italian border in the Alps. The two were venturing along the Otzal Alps when Simon decided to take a short cut and left the footpath in which they were previously following. As they hiked past a rocky, bumpy and gully filled of 'melt water' (water released by the melting of snow or ice) they noticed a hard, brown rock like figure.


The Iceman was initially thought to be a recent hiker by the German tourists, due to the excellent preservation of his body in the ice. The Iceman was removed quite roughly at the time of which he was found with no consideration for the body's historical value.

The improper tools and means of excavation led to several damages to the Iceman's body and treasures including his arm and bow becoming broken. Otzi began to defrost and develop fungus until he was finally placed in the freezer for preservation after being taken up for historical investigation.

After throughout research it was estimated that the Iceman was 5300 years old, hence living in approximately 3300 BCE.

"Only the back of the head, the bare shoulders and part of his back jutted out of the ice and melt-water. The corpse lay with its chest against a flat rock and its face obscured. Beside the corpse the hikers noticed several pieces of rolled-up birch bark"

Reference:

                   http://www.iceman.it/en/node/233

                   http://www.crystalinks.com/otzi.html

Welcome to my blog about Ötzi the Iceman!

Here you will read information in regards to:

• Who he was
• Where he was discovered
• How he was discovered
• Items found on the Iceman's body and how they enhance our knowledge and understanding of the man and the times in which he had lived
• The changing interpretations about the Iceman's cause of death, from the time of his discovery to the present. 
• Issues relating to the custodianship and ownership of the Iceman and the ethics involved in displaying his human remains

Otzi the iceman, now housed at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy