Oetzi the Shaman and the Iceman's Curse
posted by Krista | 3/6/2005 10:51:11 PM | Permalink | 
Stumble It!
Remember Oetzi, the 5,300-year-old ice man found back in 1991? Well, science has evolved quite a bit since then, and now we have all kinds of tests to get a more precise look at who he was. A recent article explains
Data from tooth enamel, soil and water samples has already shown that Oetzi probably grew up in the Pustertal region south of the Alps and left his home valley when he was 20 to 30 years old.
Archeologists believe he may have been a shaman. He used medicinal mushrooms, and his tattoos - a series of short, dark, parallel lines - had been placed to treat his arthritis as an early form of acupuncture.
Previously, researchers had detected (through xray) an arrowhead in his shoulder blade, but new DNA tests of the iceman's clothes reveal four different people - so perhaps Oetzi was involved in a struggle that led to his death.
The article mentions that since the iceman has been discovered, there have been a number of unfortunate events. Some are even speculating a curse.
Forensic medic Rainer Henn, one of the first to touch the mummy, died in a car crash on his way to a lecture about Oetzi. A mountain guide who helped with the find plunged to his death, and a journalist who filmed the excavation died from cancer.
Last October, Helmut Simon fell to his death in the Alps after a sudden onset of bad weather near the spot where he had discovered Oetzi.
Email article
