Ötzi
Ötzi | |
|---|---|
Reconstruction of Ötzi mummy as shown in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France | |
| Pronunciation | German: [ˈœtsi] ⓘ |
| Born | c. 3275 BC Near the present village of Feldthurns (Velturno), north of Bolzano, Italy |
| Died | c. 3230 BC (aged about 45) Ötztal Alps, near Tisenjoch on the border between Austria and Italy |
| Other names |
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| Known for | Oldest natural mummy of a Chalcolithic (Copper Age) European man |
| Height | 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
Ötzi, also called The Iceman, is the natural mummy of a man who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC. Ötzi's remains were discovered on 19 September 1991, in the Ötztal Alps (hence the nickname "Ötzi", German: [œtsi]) at the Austria–Italy border. He is Europe's oldest known natural human mummy, offering an unprecedented view of Chalcolithic (Copper Age) Europeans.
Because of the presence of an arrowhead embedded in his left shoulder and various other wounds, researchers believe that Ötzi was killed by another person. The nature of his life and the circumstances of his death are the subject of much investigation and speculation. His remains and personal belongings are on exhibit at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy.