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Otzi the Iceman: scientists find 5,000-year-old blood sample
Guardian (UK) ^ | Wednesday, May 2, 2012 | Tom Kington

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 ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ancientautopsies; blood; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; iceman; oetzi; otzi; theiceman
from "Iceman Oetzi gets a new face for 20th anniversary".

Iceman Oetzi gets a new face for 20th anniversary

1 posted on 05/03/2012 12:43:08 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
He ate right for his type, and look what it got him.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


2 posted on 05/03/2012 12:50:40 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Shooting someone in the back—so easy a caveman can do it.


3 posted on 05/03/2012 1:15:26 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (And yet...we continue to tolerate this crap...)
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To: SunkenCiv

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.


4 posted on 05/03/2012 3:01:50 AM PDT by Natufian (t)
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To: SunkenCiv

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?!


5 posted on 05/03/2012 4:21:23 AM PDT by luvbach1 (Stop the destruction in 2012 or continue the decline)
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To: SunkenCiv

If my memory serves me correctly this “iceman” was the only TV guest on “The Rush Limbaugh TV Show”.


6 posted on 05/03/2012 5:14:28 AM PDT by Morgana (I only come here to see what happens next. It normally does.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Where’s the obligatory Helen Thomas pic?


7 posted on 05/03/2012 5:20:32 AM PDT by Afisra
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To: luvbach1

It’s actually Kris Kristofferson :-)


8 posted on 05/03/2012 5:36:09 AM PDT by Larry - Moe and Curly (Loose lips sink ships.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Did they determine his blood type?


9 posted on 05/03/2012 5:40:29 AM PDT by Perdogg
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To: Perdogg

“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.


10 posted on 05/03/2012 8:08:21 AM PDT by GatĂșn(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: SunkenCiv

Cool! So this is Helen Thomas’s father.


11 posted on 05/03/2012 9:31:39 AM PDT by sand88 (Nothing on this Earth would get me to vote for Mitt.)
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To: luvbach1

Foeensic restructive anthropology.


12 posted on 05/03/2012 5:01:17 PM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (That Kenyan bastard is not my president. ENFORCE the Bill of Rights.)
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To: luvbach1

Fprensic REconstructive anthropology.


13 posted on 05/03/2012 5:02:23 PM PDT by S.O.S121.500 (That Kenyan bastard is not my president. ENFORCE the Bill of Rights.)
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