Posted on 06/03/2026 7:14:39 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Research out today shows the remains of Ötzi “the Iceman” are teeming with living microorganisms.
Scientists in Italy conducted an extensive survey of Ötzi, a mummy naturally frozen in a mountain glacier for over 5,000 years. They found ample bacteria and fungi inside and on Ötzi’s body, some of which might have survived for millennia and appear to be active even today under tightly maintained storage conditions.
Since his discovery, scientists have learned much about Ötzi’s life and the Copper Age society he was a part of. That includes his last meal and the likely possibility that he was killed via an arrow to his back. The tools he was found with were also sourced from different, sometimes very distant regions, suggesting the existence of a lengthy trade route along that part of Europe.
Frank Maixner, head of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research...and his team weren’t just interested in identifying the microorganisms preserved inside his body but also those on the surface, which could include microbes inadvertently introduced to Ötzi after he was unearthed.
“First, we identified ancient gut bacteria preserved inside Ötzi that are extremely rare in people living modern, industrialized lifestyles today—though they can still be found in people with traditional, non-industrialized ways of life,” Maixner told Gizmodo. “These microbes give us a unique and precious snapshot of what the human gut looked like in the Copper Age, before industrialization reshaped our microbiome.”
An even bigger surprise came when the team was able to successfully grow four living groups of yeast fungi pulled from Ötzi’s body—one of which came from deep inside his stomach.
“These cold-loving yeasts appear to have survived for thousands of years and are still biologically active today,” Maixner said
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmodo.com ...
Probably Ebola. It’s been going around.
Otzi has cooties....
He could have been a casualty of some kind of prehistoric war.
Yes. Maybe fleeing with all his worldly possessions.
Well that’s not good.
Thanks. The Rise of civilization would have turned out far differently if it hadn't been for yeast.
You can go to Hades for puns like that, you know.
;)
No way, they hate puns down there. Which is their loss, because my pun-chlines are in full flour.
No yeast, no beer. No beer, no civilization.
My doctor wants me to kill off a bunch of em.
The yeast little thing I do, gets a rise out of you!
*evil grin*
The yeast little thing I do, gets a rise out of you!
*evil grin*
Sorry for the double post!
Another interesting thing about Otzi's death site is how many artifacts emerged from the *sift*.
🍺 Even if not true, we got beer. 🍻😁
The Last Of Ötzi
I’ve seen pictures. That guy could use some lotion.
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