Ötzi the Iceman: CT, DNA and forensic reinterpretations

Record summary

The 1991 discovery of Ötzi generated continuing investigations during this period, including improved radiography, DNA work, forensic reconstruction and studies of his clothing, tools, diet and injuries. The case matters because a seemingly mysterious frozen death became a detailed, testable record of Late Neolithic mobility and violence. Uncertainties remain over the exact sequence of events, his social identity and some interpretations of the projectile wound and last movements. Researchers should distinguish primary archaeological data from popular claims that have accumulated around the mummy.