Since
its discovery, the iceman mummy has undergone a large amount of
examinations from which scientists have gathered bits of information
about his last steps on Earth, ranging from his last meal (red deer
meat and possibly cereal some 4 hours before his death) to his age
when he died (35-40). The cause of the iceman's death has been under
scrutiny since the discovery and many theories and speculations have
arisen regarding 'what happened'. These theories have developed and
changed throughout the past two decades, some being the iceman being
caught in a storm, an attack from a wild animal, the disaster theory,
a ritual sacrifice and finally homicide. Scientists at first
speculated that Otzi was killed by hypothermia from exposure to the
snow in extreme weather conditions, his body then buried under thick
blankets of snow and ice which would preserve his body.This was
initially presumed because of no obvious physical damages, however
quickly changed. Early x-rays and CAT scans taken Innsbruck appeared
to show broken ribs on the iceman's right side. This discovery gave
way to theories of an attack on the iceman, possibly by a wild animal
that would of had the force to break Otzi's ribs. The disaster theory
ties in with this as it depicts the story of the iceman getting into
an argument or fight with another civilian and receiving broken ribs
during the fight, then fleeing to the alps where he would die of
exhaustion. Further support for this theory is the deep wound on the
iceman's hand discovered through microscopical analysis. It is
believed to have occurred day or two before the 'final blow', this is
known as analysis has proved it had begun to heal before his death.
These theories were set aside when re-examination of the iceman's
body showed that he did not have a broken rib, although the
overlapping of his ribs which would have been bent out of shape after
death, may have given the appearance of a fracture. A new scientific
break through showed evidence of an arrow head embedded in his body.
The theory regarding ritual sacrifice was by a UK space technology
professor from Bristol University and other sources. It was suggested
that the Iceman's death may be connected to the landing of an
asteroid in Austria around 3000 B.C. It was theorised that Ötzi may
have been sacrificed to appease the gods who were responsible for the
asteroid's crash. The asteroid event is reportedly mentioned on an
Assyrian tablet discovered in during the 19th century in northern
Iraq which gives further support to the theory. It is believed that
the iceman could have been buried after the ritual which would
explain why his body was so well preserved from not being exposed to
the elements. Another means of speculation regarding this theory is
the copper axe found with the iceman. It has been suggested that he
ax may have been deliberately left with the body during a ritual of
sacrifice to serve the iceman in the afterlife or as a tribute to the
gods. The most recent theory to date of the iceman's cause of death
has been most supported with distinct medical evidence. The iceman's
body was scanned with computed tomography (CT) and a lesion of an
artery was found near the shoulder, underneath the clavicle bone. It
has been concluded that the iceman's death is a case of homicide. A
single arrowhead was shot at the Otzi the iceman from an attacker
positioned behind and below him. The arrow struck the iceman's left
shoulder blade, the precise area where prehistoric hunters aimed to
bring down wild animals with one shot. The arrow cut through his bone
and pierced the artery, causing blood to instantly gush out and fill
the space between the shoulder blade ribs. The iceman experienced
what is now known as hermorrhagic shock, in the last few minutes of
his life. Through ancient and modern scientific and medical data it
can be divulged that the Iceman's heart would of began to race as
sweat drenched his garments. He would of felt increasingly faint due
to loss of oxygen reaching his brain. In the space of a few minutes,
the Iceman collapsed, lost consciousness, and bled to death. Even
though the cause of death of the Iceman, Otzi, has finally been
revealed with strong scientific and medical evidence. The intentions
of Otzi's killer can never be known however theories regarding this
aspect of his death continue to arise. These theories and
propositions can not be proven without word from the iceman's killer
himself, however aim to suffice human curiosity and search for
knowledge of the past.
Depiction of Iceman's death.
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