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August 31st, 2007, 09:18 GMT · By Stefan Anitei

How Did Oetzi, the Iceman, Die?

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Oetzi, the Iceman Mummy
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This is the oldest natural ice mummy: 5,300 years old. The mummified, frozen body of Ötzi was discovered in 1991 by accident by two German tourists and the Ötztal region between Austria and Italy where it was discovered was called after it.

The body, stuck in the Schnalstal glacier, offers a glimpse at the European Copper Age. Ever since this discovery, everybody has wanted to
know why the mysterious Iceman died.

In 2000, the body was temporarily thawed for investigation. It appeared that his last meal was made of unleavened bread and some greens, but also venison, thus the guy seems to have been a hunter. Even the new analysis shows that his good health and equipment point that he was not a laborer.

Oetzi carried a bow, arrows and a copper ax. The mummy belonging to the 45-year old, 1.65 cm (5 ft. 5 in.) tall and 38 kg (84 lbs) heavy man has been intensively measured, dated, examined and X-rayed.

Earlier this year a team led by Frank Rühli of the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Zurich in Switzerland found a lesion of an artery near the shoulder, below the clavicle bone, caused by an arrowhead, which had previously been tracked into the mummy's back and it was accompanied by a large hematoma (bruise). The researchers concluded then that the Iceman died within a short time due to the arrow shot, as he basically bled to death, after the shock and heart attack.

Now, new forensic data and CAT scans have revealed he died of head trauma, not by arrow wound. Blood loss from the arrow wound must have made Oetzi lose consciousness. Oetzi could have died either from hitting his head on a rock when he fell or because his attacker inflicted him a blow in the head.

The new research considers the way the man's body was discovered: face down, with his left arm across his chest. Oetzi could have fallen backward, but was turned onto his stomach by his aggressor, who then pulled out his arrow, leaving the arrowhead imbedded in Oetzi's body.

The new analysis showed that Oetzi got his final position before rigor mortis installed.
FILED UNDER:
ice
mummy
arrow


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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: rania on 20 Mar 2008, 11:28 UTC reply to this comment

yer but if Oetzi had died from an head trauma, an head blow shouldn't it show on his skull or even on his head ?

Comment #1.1 by: nitro on 17 Aug 2011, 02:19 GMT

wat if he died from severel thing like head troma .arrow.infections who knows u cant really give a perfect logect he may have been murded or bled to death maybe both who knows ? anyway wat if they missed something from the sceen there might b something hidden tht excpanes what happend i wanna know all this ?

Comment #1.2 by: Savvy on 22 Aug 2011, 07:10 GMT

According to the documentary i watched on Oetzi he was a Tribel leader and may have been hunted down by enemy tribes. Then again there were so many different reasons of his death it even said that because he may have been a tribel leader he could have had a ceromony on the mountains leading him up to the Gods. But then the question arises why would the Tribe kill their leader was he maybe offering himself up to the Gods. I don't think we will ever find out how Oetzi died. There are just so many different way he could have passed on. Surely th arrow head had something to do with it according to the documentary the arrow head had hit a nerve point witch very well could have killed him.


Comment #2 by: samantha on 07 Oct 2008, 19:42 UTC reply to this comment

I think the iceman was murdered by an arrow. I think the shot was from 30 meters back. The arrow hit him 4 inches above his heart. He died 48 hours later.

Comment #2.1 by: otzi on 14 Oct 2010, 20:17 GMT

no he died from hypothermia

Comment #2.2 by: zack on 20 Oct 2010, 22:12 GMT

no beacuse it was 4 inches from his heart if it hit him in his heart he would of died

Comment #2.3 by: Savvy on 22 Aug 2011, 07:14 GMT

I don't think we will ever know why Otzi passed on but yes it very well could have been Hypothermia but i do think that the arrow head had something to do with it according to the documentary i watched the arrow head hit an artery or nerve so that could have very well killed him.

Comment #2.4 by: samantha on 29 Sep 2012, 01:42 GMT

I am learning this in school and ours true, a bowhit him in
the back


Comment #3 by: Daniel on 15 Oct 2008, 23:33 UTC reply to this comment

thank im doing a school reaport and this really helped me...

Comment #3.1 by: Villa43 on 01 Oct 2011, 01:20 GMT

he did from head trama thats what i think and from blood loss


Comment #4 by: nglihfgoushepiodg on 15 Nov 2008, 01:09 UTC reply to this comment

i thought he died from freezing


Comment #5 by: jackiie on 01 Oct 2009, 19:24 UTC reply to this comment

he got hit by an arrow and died of bloob loss

Comment #5.1 by: lols on 21 Feb 2012, 03:02 GMT

or from sickness or the altitude 3200 meters above sea level thats preety hi lol :p


Comment #6 by: annoyed grammar freak on 06 Oct 2009, 17:47 UTC reply to this comment

You people have very horrifying grammatical and spelling errors in your comments.

Comment #6.1 by: Another grammar freak on 16 Aug 2010, 00:05 GMT

Thank you for saying that!

Comment #6.2 by: jimmy boii on 06 Apr 2011, 22:24 GMT

agreed lololol

Comment #6.3 by: BigB on 25 Sep 2012, 21:13 GMT

thx i always wanted to no i have da goodest grammer

Comment #6.4 by: me, myself, and I on 23 Oct 2012, 20:54 GMT

And I am annoyed by the annoyed grammar freeks. Annoyed and sick.


Comment #7 by: lickslolliepops on 30 Mar 2010, 06:17 UTC reply to this comment

that is not how he died

Comment #7.1 by: isha on 21 Sep 2010, 20:44 GMT

then what really did happen because i need to do a essay on Otzi and I need to hand it in tomorrow.


Comment #8 by: gee on 22 Apr 2010, 13:24 UTC reply to this comment

What ive learnt is that he got shot with an arrow from quite a distance and that it went 3 cm deep into Oetzi's back and then he slowly died due to blood loss and a heart attack.

Comment #8.1 by: KOOLKAT 6821 on 21 May 2013, 19:28 GMT

I know this is for a grade in reading i need to know


Comment #9 by: starfall on 20 Aug 2010, 21:13 UTC reply to this comment

I dont belive that he got shot in the head


Comment #10 by: starfall on 20 Aug 2010, 21:14 UTC reply to this comment

im doing a school report on this

Comment #10.1 by: Uptight on 06 Sep 2012, 01:27 GMT

so am i :)


Comment #11 by: hbs on 26 Aug 2010, 18:53 UTC reply to this comment

scary


Comment #12 by: isha on 21 Sep 2010, 20:46 UTC reply to this comment

I think Otzi got killed by the arrow head


Comment #13 by: you97897 on 23 Sep 2010, 18:41 UTC reply to this comment

i think/know died by the ice or by an arrow by an assiasnn dude


Comment #14 by: blahman on 27 Sep 2010, 20:34 UTC reply to this comment

how could he die from and arrow if they didn't get any arrows from him in the first place


Comment #15 by: ljb 1412 on 29 Sep 2010, 19:35 UTC reply to this comment

I think oetzi was killed by the blow from the arrow in his back

Comment #15.1 by: Jessssussss on 17 Aug 2012, 06:33 GMT

um yeah he did


Comment #16 by: hannah...banana.... on 29 Sep 2010, 21:25 UTC reply to this comment

i think he was killed by an attack from the back because of the trauma to the skull and the arrow head in his shoulder blade.


Comment #17 by: Jord on 21 Oct 2010, 22:40 UTC reply to this comment

In Social Studies, I learned about Otzi the Iceman, there are so many different theories about how he died, I don't know which to believe.


Comment #18 by: rudy on 26 Oct 2010, 20:37 UTC reply to this comment

i think he died for a ritual sacrifice

Comment #18.1 by: ttt on 01 Nov 2010, 21:07 GMT

this is a dead man and it is the oldest man this website helped me os thankyou

Comment #18.2 by: Savvy on 22 Aug 2011, 07:20 GMT

Yes Rudy i think i heard that somewhere too :)


Comment #19 by: leo on 02 Nov 2010, 03:28 UTC reply to this comment

i think it is someone form the very future kill it but it is kill by a spear so it can't be


Comment #20 by: caseypal on 12 Nov 2010, 03:23 UTC reply to this comment

I think that otzi was a shepered and when he brought his sheep up the Alps some dude with a bow and arrow shot him so he could take his sheep. So then otzi died in the Alps with his sheep stolen.


Comment #21 by: jujay on 22 Nov 2010, 19:21 UTC reply to this comment

It gave us alot of information for a reading class for school that we are doing right now!! :)


Comment #22 by: pooop on 30 Nov 2010, 19:40 UTC reply to this comment

so awesome...


Comment #23 by: fat chode on 01 Dec 2010, 22:50 UTC reply to this comment

He was fat and tripped and fell on his head


Comment #24 by: -BORED on 07 Dec 2010, 21:11 UTC reply to this comment

ewwwww i was learning about this in science godddd this is so weird i feel bad for him where can find him anyway?


Comment #25 by: PERSON on 10 Dec 2010, 18:37 UTC reply to this comment

HHHHHHHHHHHEYEEEY HE DIED CAUSE OF AN ARROW


Comment #26 by: hazza on 22 Jan 2011, 13:43 UTC reply to this comment

Was there a wound to his head?


Comment #27 by: Fluffy on 02 Feb 2011, 20:05 UTC reply to this comment

This is what we are learning about in school and its insteresting but weird at the same time. My teacher leaves us hanging in saspitions. We learn alot everyday and just want to no more. This story is amazeing


Comment #28 by: Homes on 08 Feb 2011, 21:21 UTC reply to this comment

I belive he was shot with an arrow from behind and either feel and rolled over or was rolled over by the shooter and the arrow was then taken out by the shooter witch is why he is on his stomack with his arm in a wired possition across his cheast


Comment #29 by: cookie on 09 Feb 2011, 21:46 UTC reply to this comment

he wasent shot in the head he was shot in the shoulder with a arrow i think the shooter took out another arrow we dident know about that would explain the other wounds and just left the other arrow in


Comment #30 by: GreatGrammar on 16 Feb 2011, 02:08 UTC reply to this comment

Got to love the spelling of these comments!

Comment #30.1 by: Super Spelling on 15 Mar 2011, 02:37 GMT

I agree with you the spelling is just perfect


Comment #31 by: emmaleee :) on 14 Mar 2011, 01:16 UTC reply to this comment

who cares if theres spellin errors? it doesnt matter spelling freaks


Comment #32 by: Great Awsome Speller on 15 Mar 2011, 02:39 UTC reply to this comment

Agreed this is some awsome spelling hay :)


Comment #33 by: herpes on 31 Mar 2011, 23:21 UTC reply to this comment

no one cares bout this old man :L

Comment #33.1 by: peace11 on 20 Apr 2011, 18:34 GMT

you are so mean!!!!!!!


Comment #34 by: peace11 on 20 Apr 2011, 18:33 UTC reply to this comment

i read the book how interisting


Comment #35 by: peace11 on 20 Apr 2011, 18:35 UTC reply to this comment

i don't think that is how he died


Comment #36 by: Hutch on 11 May 2011, 07:34 UTC reply to this comment

He died because he was hunting a wolf and a pack of hunters ( other peole ) flung an arrow and stuck him.

Another possibility was that he was in war in the mountains and got stuck by a arrow and fled, He fled for hours untill he hit the mark where he needed to die, He lay down on the snow put down his bow and axe and pulled out the arrow and tossed it away. He layed on the ground nd slowly died in pain.


Comment #37 by: Emmie the cheerchick on 25 May 2011, 20:49 UTC reply to this comment

He didn't die from hypothermia he died from an arrow shooting him in his left shoulder.


Comment #38 by: ...McBob... on 16 Jun 2011, 09:53 UTC reply to this comment

He died as a result of bleeding form the arrow. He pulled the arrow out himself as it was found amongst the items found with the body. He was in times of unrest and war as several peoples blood other than his own was found on his arrows and coat. The damage to the back of the head was caused post mortim, as the place where he died and was frozen thawed several times over the 5000 years he was there and he floated around and hit rocks in the thawed water.


Comment #39 by: science guy ALSOME!!!!!!!!!!!! on 17 Aug 2011, 05:35 UTC reply to this comment

This kind of history really amazes me it's so ALSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! comment if you think it is ALSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry but it is


Comment #40 by: Savvy on 22 Aug 2011, 07:19 UTC reply to this comment

According to the documentary i watched on Otzi he could have been a tribel leader and was hunted b maybe an enemy tribe. He could also have been brought to the mountain to become a sacrifice to the Gods but then i have to wonder would a tribe give up their leader or would they get maybe someone less impotent to be the sacrifice. I don't think we will ever find out how Otzi passed on. There could be so may reasons also according to the documentary i watched the arrow head hit an artery or nerve and that could have very well killed him.


Comment #41 by: JIMMY on 23 Aug 2011, 19:16 UTC reply to this comment

i thought he slipped AND DIED


Comment #42 by: olypeace on 29 Aug 2011, 23:23 UTC reply to this comment

maybe Otzi was a reliogous leader and people didn't like his religion

Comment #42.1 by: Villa43 on 01 Oct 2011, 01:18 GMT

well not really people like people like him because he is a leader


Comment #43 by: alskdhfg on 31 Aug 2011, 23:12 UTC reply to this comment

i think otzi died of assassanation


Comment #44 by: hallebee on 06 Sep 2011, 22:12 UTC reply to this comment

who whould have killed him and why? and if someone killed him why would they not steal his stuff? and is it true that he was found naked? if so why?

Comment #44.1 by: Villa43 on 01 Oct 2011, 01:16 GMT

he was not found naked im i 6th grade and i understand this he had his clothes on but his other items was around him for us to find if you ask me!!!


Comment #45 by: Villa43 on 01 Oct 2011, 01:14 UTC reply to this comment

he could not have died of the arrow if it hit an artery then it would take hours but i think it was head trama and blood loss


Comment #46 by: c nanvbdms vbcms on 07 Oct 2011, 00:22 UTC reply to this comment

i think it was hypothermia because he could have been hulisanting and removed his clothes. the hole in th back of his head just migth be from falling on one of his sharp tools next he fell into the waterf like pond and the sharp knife or tool fell off and then a enmy and aproced and shot him in the back witih an arrow becaus eof th epain he we was in.


Comment #47 by: Jacklyn on 12 Oct 2011, 00:50 UTC reply to this comment

I think otzi died from an attack by other people and he died from blood loss. Cause when they put a camera his body there was not any blood left in there , and it wouldve been there because it would've been frozen in his body.


Comment #48 by: kies on 28 Oct 2011, 00:18 UTC reply to this comment

He got shot by an arrow.


Comment #49 by: mack 11 on 16 Nov 2011, 18:30 UTC reply to this comment

where did he live?


Comment #50 by: harris on 15 Feb 2012, 04:43 UTC reply to this comment

i think iceman was a guy who was nice and may wont to live and when he was going to die he wont to rit somethink so someone or how case he wold have a few minntes to rit it


Comment #51 by: HUTCH on 23 Feb 2012, 02:39 UTC reply to this comment

OMIGOD LOL HE Took and arrow to the knee hutch was here


Comment #52 by: Joe on 10 Mar 2012, 14:34 UTC reply to this comment

I think he dyed from hyperthermia

Comment #52.1 by: Samantha on 10 Nov 2012, 13:48 GMT

He did not die from hypothermia because the coat was warm. He died in battle because he had 4 different types if blood on his coat and weapons


Comment #53 by: Hi man on 24 Apr 2012, 04:06 UTC reply to this comment

hi all this may sound like crap but it isnt


Comment #54 by: ChippBaby ! on 14 May 2012, 15:42 UTC reply to this comment

- I Think This Story Is Very Intersting. !


Comment #55 by: GEORGIA on 30 May 2012, 07:36 UTC reply to this comment

otzi got shot>>>>> ;o


Comment #56 by: Jordii on 27 Jul 2012, 04:08 UTC reply to this comment

its good.


Comment #57 by: Jen on 17 Aug 2012, 02:17 UTC reply to this comment

He probaly been killed by an arrow, the arrow head in his shoulder make him collapse in the ice and freezing to death.


Comment #58 by: Jessssussss on 17 Aug 2012, 06:34 UTC reply to this comment

I think Otzi was killed by the wound in his back which was shot by some one else. So a murder


Comment #59 by: kk123 on 29 Aug 2012, 03:51 UTC reply to this comment

i think that it was cool because the iceman is 5,300 yrs old and because of the ice it kept his body sort of perfect and he had skin nails and more it wasn't just bone like what you will find in like Africa or some place else. but in the article you should add how old he was (40).


Comment #60 by: Ty on 02 Sep 2012, 23:50 UTC reply to this comment

I think he did die from the arrow wound. But it is odd cause they might have found the blood from his back, unless he died, but I also think the temperature would have helped him pass away faster. We may not find the exact cause of death. The good news is we have so much evidence for his death compared to many other events in history


Comment #61 by: Uptight on 06 Sep 2012, 01:26 UTC reply to this comment

You need to research Ötzi a bit more because half your 'facts' are wrong. Also, you need to look at your grammar and word use.
Ötzi was named after the Ötztal Alps, not the other way around (because scientists are never going to find out what his real name was).


Comment #62 by: bailey on 20 Sep 2012, 20:58 UTC reply to this comment

because of hypothermia


Comment #63 by: jayhawks on 23 Sep 2012, 00:33 UTC reply to this comment

SO, he basically died from head trauma orhe bled to death. My analysis says he more than likely died from freezing to death.


Comment #64 by: bo on 30 Sep 2012, 00:55 UTC reply to this comment

could he have been hunting?


Comment #65 by: bob on 05 Oct 2012, 10:24 UTC reply to this comment

i think this is really bad and really interesting because this is old and good for your education in humanities


Comment #66 by: glonker(= on 09 Oct 2012, 23:34 UTC reply to this comment

I have a report on him and this is what I have so far.
THE ICE MAN
The Ice Man was born 3300 BCE he died 3255 BCE, he was a tall man brown eyes and black hair people don’t exactly know how he died he could have been a shepherded showing his sheep the way home or a lost farmer finding his way home. His belongings were his fur hat, straw shoes, wood staff, bow and arrow the arrows, hay cloak, his copper axe, and his flint knife. He was 5 feet 5 inches, when he was frozen he could have shrunk in that long 5,300 years he was frozen! All of his eternal organs were saved by the freeze over! All of the guts and organs and icky stuff and eyes his brains too! But his skin froze off and got bad frost bite. The Ice Man died of an arrow wound to his shoulder! The mountain he was climbing had a curse, the curse of The Pharaohs, The Mountains name was Ozti. His body when frozen was found with many tattoos straight lines found on the lumbar spine. He was found by a Nuremburg couple taking a hike. Without these people we would not know this amazing discovery! Some people think it’s grows I think it’s pretty cool!


Comment #67 by: Anonymous on 11 Oct 2012, 00:14 UTC reply to this comment

Ya I had this for school and it helped me 2

Comment #67.1 by: dahhh girl on 11 Oct 2012, 20:36 GMT

your weird


Comment #68 by: dahhh girl on 11 Oct 2012, 20:36 UTC reply to this comment

He died from lack of blood and a arrow in his shoulder and he fell and probably hit his head on a rock dahh

Comment #68.1 by: moneyyyy on 07 Dec 2012, 17:34 GMT

i think he died by freezing to death

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