Posted on 08/29/2007 9:26:19 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Where’s Quincy when you really need him?.............
Oetzi's DNA haplogroup is 'K', same as Thomas Jefferson's.
None of this can be true. As we all know, people lived in perfect utopian harmony until Christianity and capitalism came along.
Poor Oetzi. Wonder if they’ll ever determine FOR SURE what actually killed him!
If that's not a failure of socialized medicine I don't know what is. :)
His wife hit him with a frying pan.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars later and he’s still dead, Jim.
Just robbing ancient Italian icemen that Americans won’t rob.
An arrow isn’t head trauma?
That’s funny!
Interesting. Amazing what can be done these days.
shot, bashed in the head, frozen...
This guy was like the Rasputin of his era.
It was Barzini all along, wasn’t it?
I'm just a caveman. I'm confused and frightened by your CAT scans and modern forensic science. But there is one thing I do know: that Oetzi deserves justice and a $10 million settlement for the initial misruling on his cause of death.
So, he was beaten to death by a Cleric, not a Fighter?
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