Posted on 05/03/2012 12:42:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
As cold cases go, it does not get much colder than Ötzi the Iceman, whose body was found frozen solid in the Italian Alps 5,300 years after he died from an arrow wound.
Since he was discovered by trekkers in 1991, scientists have mapped his DNA and figured out everything from what ailments he suffered from (Lyme disease and a weak heart) to the last meal he ate (venison and ibex) before he was shot in the back, probably by an enemy tribesman.
Now, using advanced nanotechnology, they have located traces of Ötzi's blood, the oldest blood sample ever retrieved. The discovery sheds new light on his death and may change the way police study blood found at modern crime scenes.
Using an atomic microscope and a spectroscope, an Italo-German team found tiny traces of blood similar to modern-day blood around the arrow wound and a cut to Ötzi's hand.
"Forensic scientists today have trouble telling if crime scene blood is days or months old, but by studying the elasticity of 5,000-year-old blood we hope to be able to make a real contribution to the understanding of blood aging," Zink said.
The team also found fibrin, a protein involved in blood clotting, in the arrow wound. "Fibrin is produced by the body at the moment of wounding and later replaced during the healing process," Zink said. "What we found shows he died within 30 minutes of being shot."
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
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GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
He ate right for his type, and look what it got him. |
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Shooting someone in the back—so easy a caveman can do it.
If anyone wants to understand how tough life was in those days, look at that photo and bear in mind that the guy was in his early to mid 40’s when he died.
Assuming that pic is of a reconstruction of the Ice Man based on his remains and not an actor with makeup, how the heck did they make it so realistic?!
If my memory serves me correctly this “iceman” was the only TV guest on “The Rush Limbaugh TV Show”.
Where’s the obligatory Helen Thomas pic?
It’s actually Kris Kristofferson :-)
Did they determine his blood type?
“Did they determine his blood type?”
Not yet. That will come later. Can hardly wait!
Remember, we all came out of Africa, so they will probaly find some Keyan in him.
By the way, I don’t believe that crap that we all came out of Africa. What happens if we turn that around and said everyone came out of Sweden? But those who moved down to Africa got too much sun which raised their melanin level.
Cool! So this is Helen Thomas’s father.
Foeensic restructive anthropology.
Fprensic REconstructive anthropology.
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