Researcher's Say Italy's 5,000-Year-Old Iceman Died From Head Trauma, Not Arrow (Oetzi)

IHT ^ | 8-28-2007

[blam]

Researchers say Italy's 5,000-year-old Iceman died from head trauma, not arrow

The Associated PressPublished: August 28, 2007

ROME, Italy: Researchers studying Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy found frozen in the Italian Alps, have come up with a new theory for how he died, saying he died from head trauma, not by bleeding to death from an arrow.

Just two months ago, researchers in Switzerland published an article in the Journal of Archaeological Science saying the mummy — also known as Oetzi — had died after the arrow tore a hole in an artery beneath his left collarbone, leading to massive loss of blood, shock and heart attack.

But radiologists, pathologists and other researchers, using new forensic information and CAT scans, said Tuesday they believed that the blood loss from the arrow wound only made Oetzi lose consciousness. They believe he died either by hitting his head on a rock when he passed out or because his aggressor attacked him again with a blow to the head.

The researchers presented their findings Monday night at the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman at the European Academy in Bolzano, a research institution. The mummy institute was launched in July to coordinate research into Oetzi, who is housed in the nearby South Tyrol Archaeological Museum.

In a statement Tuesday, the academy said the findings reopened the debate over Oetzi's cause of death, particularly since they took into account the rather unnatural way in which his body was found: face down, with his left arm across his chest.

The researchers believe the Iceman fell over backward, but was then turned over onto his stomach by his aggressor who then pulled out the arrow shaft while leaving the arrowhead imbedded in Oetzi's shoulder.

[SunkenCiv]

Oetzi was a hunter, and he was slain by local farmers for trespassing. Yes, his death was the work of another cereal killer.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The people from Cold Case will sort it all out.

[usurper]

Its all just speculation masquarading as science. No one could have fallen with his arm like that... Utter BS.

>That was my take as well. The body been out there for 5,000 years being shifted around by ice, snow, wind and who knows what else. He was probably located quite a distance from where is actually fell.

[blam]

"If Oetzi was killed by enemy fighters, why didn’t they take his copper axe, or his quiver? "

Excellent observation and I agree.

The discovery of Oetzi's copper axe moved the European copper age back in time by 1,000 years.

[Battle of Tours]

I didn’t know Larry King knew how to use a bow and arrow

[LexBaird]

Oetzi's DNA haplogroup is 'K', same as Thomas Jefferson's.

Aha! Oetzi fathered Sally Hemmings offspring, and was killed to hush him up!

[Monkey Face]

*groan*

*crickets*

[50sDad]

3rd edition? 3rd Edition? We had a hardback players, a hardback DM's, one monster manual, the twelve original modules and a handful of back issues of Dragon magazine, and we were grateful to have them! We had to get up a 3:00 in the morning, study for finals, and walk to schoool, killing Orcs, uphill both ways! We were so poor, I had to start out with a -2 Berzerker Sword that sang sad Irish songs every time you pulled it out of its sheath, and which was so dumb, it lowered MY IQ every time I fought something! Our Wizard was tossed out of the Unseen University for being bad at cantrips!

Thanks folks, I'm here all week. Try the veal, and don't tip your serving wenches...it makes them fall over!

The UberNerd

[Monkey Face]

Hey, your tagline tops everything else in the thread! ;’)

Thanks! ;o])

[tracer]

Probably not “clonable” due to deterioration, but why do so — we already have Ted Kenndy>

[elli1]

Aha! Oetzi fathered Sally Hemmings offspring, and was killed to hush him up!

Nah. I think it was just a hunting accident. Probably Oetzi was hunting with someone from Dick Cheney's haplogroup.

[hdstmf]

I guess this is certainly a cold case.

[SunkenCiv]

Wheat rye to oat do previous efforts, without too much s corn.

[Monkey Face]

Now you’re talking like one of my brothers! LOL!

He wrote an entire letter to me written like that...it took me two days to figure out what he was saying....

[SunkenCiv]

:’) I’m difficult to understand for reasons of incoherence. ;’)

[Monkey Face]

I’m the same way! Only different! ;o]

[Mumbles]

"But radiologists, pathologists and other researchers, using new forensic information and CAT scans, said Tuesday they believed that the blood loss from the arrow wound only made Oetzi lose consciousness. They believe he died either by hitting his head on a rock when he passed out or because his aggressor attacked him again with a blow to the head." New Forensics! And how meny people went to the slam because of the old forensics?

[NewMexLurker]

“If Oetzi was killed by enemy fighters, why didn’t they take his copper axe, or his quiver?”

One article I read used your two points here, as well as the fact that the killer removed his own arrow from the body, as arguments that the iceman was killed by someone in his own tribe. Someone who didn’t want to get caught, either by leaving his own arrow in the iceman’s back, or by showing up in camp with his property. Made pretty good sense to me.

[wildbill]

Imagine you’re trying to escape from enemies who’ve already wounded you fatally. You’re moving away—forward, possibly running, when you become faint from loss of blood.

How do you fall? Forward. Maybe you’ve had your hand on the wound, trying to stanch the blood loss from the artery so where does your hand wind up? Underneath you, folded across your chest.

To me, the least likely scenario is that he fell over backwards and then was rolled over by enemies who forgot to loot his body of very valuable tools.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Researchers studying Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy found frozen in the Italian Alps, have come up with a new theory for how he died...

Oetzi was a hunter, and he was slain by local farmers for trespassing. Yes, his death was the work of another cereal killer.

The alchemists who wanted to generate silver outvoted the impale-eontologists who wanted to just barium in a freezer, so the remains will be displayed in the Getty Yeti Museum.

If the remains crumble it will be a bad case of Frosted Flakes.




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