Scientists Find Out What Otzi The Iceman Wore More Than 5,000 Years Ago

Science Jeanette Walsh
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More than 5,300 years ago, Otzi the Iceman had to find clothing somewhere. With nary a retail outlet to be found, he was innovative and science is proving that his choice was using hides. Otzi is the name of the human mummy who was found in 1991 by travelers in the Otztal Alps of Europe. He died of an arrow wound and snow quickly covered his body, inadvertently preserving him for centuries later.

Scientists believe that the snow kept his body in tact to allow them to study what life really was like back then. The results of a wide range of studies since 1991 on Otzi have shown some interesting things. Thanks to DNA testing, he was known to be lactose intolerant and likely would have had some cardiovascular disease had he lived longer. His last meal was bread and red deer. Due to the pollen in his stomach, scientists were able to ascertain that he passed away in the summer.

When he died he was wearing a hat, loincloth, coat, leggings, shoes, belt, and a quiver. They were made from preserved leathers. What is interesting is how daunting a task it is to complete the leather tanning process. It included having to scrape leather, exposure to the fatty acids of the animal and intense heat at some point also.

Scientists were able to use a new sequencing approach to reconstruct the mitochondrial DNA of the animals used for the hides. They were able to realize that his shoelaces were cow leather, his leggings were goat leather, his loincloth was sheep skin, his quiver was red roe deer, his hat was bearskin and his coat was made of goat and sheep.

Head of the Institute for Mummies, Albert Zinc stated that the findings proved that people at that time were making clothing for functionality and for comfort.