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Ötzi the prehistoric iceman was killed by a blow to the head - and NOT by an arrow, claim scientists

Blood cells extracted from a pin-sized sample of brain tissue may finally prove how Ötzi the iceman mummy met his demise.

Since the body was found frozen under the Alps two decades ago, scientists have conducted experiments to learn how he came to be buried between the Austrian and Italian borders more than 5,300 years ago.

A hole in his collarbone suggested he was killed by an arrow, then a brain scan concluded he died from a fall.

Now, this latest research, from the European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen (EURAC) in Germany, has discovered he suffered brain damage likely caused by a blow to the head.

German researchers from the European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen (EURAC) at Saarland and Kiel University extracted protein and blood cells, pictured, from the brain of a 5,-300-year-old mummy. They discovered some of the blood cells were clotted, caused by bruising to the brain

The research teams from Saarland and Kiel University used computer-controlled endoscopy to extract two samples of brain tissue the size of a pinhead from the glacier mummy.

Microbiologist Frank Maixner and fellow scientist Andreas Tholey conducted a study of complex protein mixtures known as 'proteomes.'

From this research, scientists were able to identify a number of brain and blood cell proteins that confirmed they were brain tissue. 

They then found clotted blood cells when looking at the samples under a microscope.

  More... DNA scans reveal 5,300-year-old 'Iceman' had brown eyes, relatives in Sardinia - and the first known case of Lyme disease Ötzi the iceman goes to the dentist for the first time: 3D scans reveal 5,300-year-old had terrible teeth and bad breath thanks to bread-heavy diet

These blood clots led them to the conclusion that Ötzi's brain had possibly suffered bruising shortly before his death, and this kind of bruising and brain damage is common from blows to the head.

The research team said that the find was a breakthrough - not only in the case of Ötzi, but also in the development of new protein-analysis methods and the results have been published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.

Tholey said in the study: 'It has enabled us to pioneer this type of protein investigation on the soft tissue of a mummified human, extracting from the tiniest sample a vast quantity of data which in the future may well answer many further questions.'

Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old man found frozen in the Italian alps, may have died because of a blow to a head. Researchers from Saarland and Kiel University extracted protein and blood cells from the mummy's brain tissue and discovered bruising consistent with a head injury to the forehead

'Proteins are the decisive players in tissues and cells, and they conduct most of the processes which take place in cells. Identification of the proteins is therefore key to understanding the functional potential of a particular tissue.

DNA is always constant, regardless of from where it originates in the body, whereas proteins provide precise information about what is happening in specific regions within the body.'

Maixner told Science Daily: 'Investigating mummified tissue can be very frustrating.

'The samples are often damaged or contaminated and do not necessarily yield results, even after several attempts and using a variety of investigative methods.

'When you think that we have succeeded in identifying actual tissue changes in a human who lived over 5,000 years ago, you can begin to understand how pleased we are as scientists that we persisted with our research after many unsuccessful attempts. It has definitely proved worthwhile!'

Archaeologists in 1997 believed that Ötzi was killed with an arrow after a hole was found beneath his left collarbone.

They claimed this would have lead to a massive loss of blood and shock and, according to an article published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, would have caused Ötzi to suffer a heart attack.

In 2001, scientists from Austria's Innsbruck University scanned Ötzi using a CAT scan. They found dark spots at the back of the iceman mummy's cerebrum and concluded he may have died from a head injury. It was suggested that falling, after being hit by the arrow or while climbing, may have caused this head injury

In 2001, scientists from Austria's Innsbruck University scanned Ötzi using a CAT scan.

They found dark spots at the back of the iceman mummy's cerebrum and concluded he may have died from a head injury.

It was suggested that falling, after being hit by the arrow, or while climbing, may have caused this head injury.

The mummy was found in September 1991 in the Ötztal Alps, hence the name Ötzi, near the Similaun mountain and Hauslabjoch on the border between Austria and Italy.

Scientists estimate he was aged around 45, was 5ft 5" tall and weighed about 7.9st when he died.

Users can virtually view Ötzi's corpse online using EURAC's Iceman Photoscan project.

The site launched in 2009 and contains 150,000 high definition images of the perfectly preserved mummy from 12 different angles.

Users can view the mummy in 3D and see its distinctive tattoos in both white and UV light.

The mummy was found in September 1991 in the Ötztal Alps, hence the name Ötzi, near the Similaun mountain and Hauslabjoch on the border between Austria and Italy. Scientists estimate he was aged around 45, was 5ft 5" tall and weighed about 7.9st when he died

'This website allows an in-depth virtual contact with the mummy without compromising its sensitive preservation conditions,' Preservation Project Manager Marco Samadelli said.

'It is an opportunity for the wider public to discover and study a cultural heritage, unique to the world.'

Nicknamed Ötzi, the prehistoric hunter is complete with fur and grass robes, leather shoes and bow and arrow.

Ötzi is kept in a specially built museum in Bolzano, Italy. Visitors view the mummy through portholes into a specially refrigerated room.

'The current preservation conditions of the mummy prevent the wider public from getting close to it,' researchers from the European Academy Bozen said.

Enlarge   Enlarge   The intuitive zoom function lets users close in on interesting details such as Ötzi's numerous tattoos (L). Some scientists have speculated the marks indicate a form of acupuncture

The hunter was frozen with all his possessions including a bow, a quiver of arrows and a copper axe. He was wearing warm clothing including a cloak made of woven grass, a coat and leggings made from goatskin and a bearskin cap with a leather chin strap.

Another 3D scan of the mummy in April discovered that the iceman probably never cleaned his teeth, and suffered from bad breath as a result.

Researchers from the University of Zurich were stunned by the poor condition of Ötzi's teeth, and found he suffered from several major cavities as well as a damaged front tooth probably caused by an accident.

The project also created 3D images of the mummy, but users will need their own 3D glasses to get the effect

This is the skull of the Iceman seen from the front. The genetic increased distance between the central front teeth as well as the severe dental abrasion can be seen, which led to a loss of more than half of the crowns in the front.

They found that Ötzi displays an 'astoundingly large' number of oral diseases and dentition problems that are still widespread today.

Professor Frank Rühli, head of the study, said 'Ötzi suffered from heavy dental abrasions, had several carious lesions – some severe – and had mechanical trauma to one of his front teeth which was probably due to an accident.'

Although research has been underway on this important mummy for over 20 years now, the teeth had scarcely been examined.

Dentist Roger Seiler from the Centre for Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich has now examined Ötzi's teeth based on the latest computer tomography data.

The three-dimensional computer tomography reconstructions give an insight into the oral cavity of the Iceman and show how severely he was suffering from advanced periodontitis.

Particularly in the area of the rear molars, Seiler found loss of the periodontal supporting tissue that almost extended to the tip of the root.

While Ötzi is scarcely likely to have cleaned his teeth, his abrasive diet contributed significantly to a process of self-cleaning.

The fact that the Iceman suffered from tooth decay is attributable to his eating more and more starchy foods such as bread and cereal porridge which were consumed more commonly in the Neolithic period because of the rise of agriculture, the researchers say.

This is the view of the right side of the rows of teeth in a 3D reconstruction. The arrow pointing right shows deep carious lesions, and the arrow pointing left severe bone loss around the molars

In addition, the food was very abrasive because of contaminants and the rub-off from the quern, as is demonstrated by the Iceman's abraded teeth.

His accident-related dental damage and his other injuries testify to his troubled life at that time, the team believe.

One front tooth has suffered mechanical trauma – the discoloration is still clearly visible – and one molar has lost a cusp, probably from chewing on something, perhaps a small stone in the cereal porridge.

Clearly visible is the heavy sanding of the teeth. In a circle on the first molar tooth fracture of the palate side bump is visible. The molar on the opposite side, however, is indeed strongly abraded, its palate-sided enamel edge but still intact.

The loss of the periodontium has always been a very common disease, as the discovery of Stone Age skulls and the examination of Egyptian mummies has shown.

Ötzi allows us an especially good insight into such an early stage of this disease, said explains Seiler.

The Iceman – known widely as 'Ötzi' – is the oldest 'wet' mummy in the world.

Since its discovery in 1991, numerous scientific examinations have taken place.

In 2007, for example, also with the involvement of Frank Rühli, Ötzi's cause of death was determined as probably stemming from internal bleeding.

WHO WAS Ötzi? DNA analysis has revealed details of the iceman's life

The 5,300-year-old 'ice mummy' known as Ötzi suffered from the world's first-known case of Lyme disease, a bacterial parasite spread by ticks, according to new DNA analysis.

Ötzi, who was 46 at the time of his death and measured 5ft2, also had brown eyes, had relatives in Sardinia, and was lactose intolerant.

Ötzi was also predisposed to heart disease.

The new research focused on the DNA in the nuclei of Ötzi's cells, and could yield further insights into the famous 'ice mummy's life.

He was unearthed in September 1991 by a couple of German tourists trekking through the Oetz Valley, after which he was named.

He was about 46 years old when he met his death.

The iceman has been crucial to our understanding of how prehistoric people lived, what they wore and even what they ate.

Researchers examining the contents of his stomach worked out that his final meal consisted of venison and ibex meat.Archaeologists believe Oetzi, who was carrying a bow, a quiver of arrows and a copper axe, may have been a hunter or warrior killed in a skirmish with a rival tribe.Researchers say he was about 159cm tall (5ft 2.5in), 46 years old, arthritic and infested with whipworm, an intestinal parasite.His perfectly preserved body is stored in his own specially designed cold storage chamber at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Italy at a constant temperature of -6°C. Visitors can view the mummy through a small window.Alongside his remains is a new Oetzi model created using 3D images of the corpse and forensic technology by two Dutch artists – Alfons and Adrie Kennis.











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