Scientists Thaw Ancient Ice Mummy

R O M E, Sept. 26 -- The world’s oldest, best preserved mummy was temporarily defrosted Monday so scientists could probe his body in an attempt to learn more about his life and, particularly, his death.

Oetzi, as he is known, was found in the Italian Alps in 1991. It’s generally believed the 5,300-year-old mummy was a shepherd who died of exposure in the high mountains, but a sure cause of death has never been established.

Now forensic scientists from Scotland and Italy want to examine where blood was concentrated when he died to see whether he died naturally on his back or whether he fell forward and died as the result of an accident. They must also consider if he, perhaps, had simply been buried. “I believe we might exclude violence or exposure as the cause of death,” says Prof. Renato Fasolo from the University of Verona, “and consider the possibility of a ritual burial.”

Probing the Teeth, Prostate

After slowly thawing the mummy overnight, a team of scientists from Italian and European Universities took samples from Oetzi’s bones, tooth enamel, and intestines (using an endoscope) for testing.

They swabbed his teeth, looking for traces of food and signs of decay. They drilled a hole in his thighbone, searching for more evidence of his precise age, his resistance to disease, and his DNA.

They also probed what was left of his private parts, especially his prostate gland. That was the only part of the dead warrior-hunter which may have fallen foul to hungry, gnawing animals.

They examined his still supple mummified skin, his joints and his skull to look for signs of injury. Then they released him back into his deep-freeze sleep.

Claimed by Two Countries

When climbers discovered Oetzi on a melting glacier in the Alps between Italy and Austria, the leathery brown corpse was so well preserved that at first authorities thought they had found the body of a climber who had met an unfortunate fate. They removed it without much care. Only later did experts realize they had an ancient mummy on their hands. A closer examination of the body and the site revealed ancient clothing and tools. Testing showed the frozen body was 5,300 years old.