Austrian archaeologist Konrad Spindler was fascinated by the position of Iceman's copper axe and his body, and worked out the initial layout of the scene. Spindler was led to believe that Iceman had safely put his belongings around him and this stemmed from the idea that everything was preserved in the exact position as it initially happened thousands of years ago. Eventually Spindler came to the conclusion that Ötzi was unfortunate enough to be caught in a storm and had eventually died from hypothermia.
Soon after as scientists began to look inside the body using X-rays and CAT scans (Computer Assisted Tomography) they found what apparently looked like rib fractures, and with this new found piece of evidence Spindler expanded on another theory which he called his "disaster theory". This theory stated that Ötzi was a shepherd who was possibly returning home when he got into a argument or battle in which he suffered severe injuries to the chest, fracturing his ribs, but had managed to escape. However, as he fled to the mountains and had made it to the top, he was too exhausted and damaged which led to his death through hypothermia and he was then buried in ice.
Through further scientific investigation over time using new technological advances Spindler's theory had been proved invalid.
In June 2001, Ötzi's new custodians - the Italians decided to examine the body again, and a local radiologist noticed an overlooked shadow in the X-ray reports near the shoulder. Further analysis of the density of this shadow (as it was denser than bone) revealed it to be a stone arrowhead embedded in Ötzi's shoulder, which had been neglected despite ten years of intensive study.
This sprouted another theory that perhaps Ötzi was attacked and had managed to escape, but as he ran he was shot in the back with an arrow and had died from bleeding. As this theory was further developed and polished, to account for the evidences pointing to this particular scenario, it was put forward that perhaps the shooter of the arrow had come and took the arrow out himself, leaving the flint arrowhead in Ötzi's shoulder. The arrow had actually pierced through vital arteries resulting in extensive loss of blood and cause of death.
Photo courtesy here.
Thus after many years of time, effort and research, a more reliable and probable theory explaining Ötzi's death had emerged, causing another sensation in the scientific and historic world, managing to inspire more research into his actual death and lifestyle.
My theory is that he was either accidentally shot on a hunt or that he was on a death hike knowing he was dying. They know that he was clothed, had his tools-ax, arrows/bow, flint material, had a normal meal in his belly, blood in the brain, fractured skull and his wrist was slit. And currently a found arrowhead in his shoulder. So the experts think he was shot in the back, had close combat-possible cut to wrist in defense and then struck in the head with a rock.
ReplyDeleteIf you were following him to kill him why would you leave items that could help you survive in the elements. Like the ax, the knife, flint material and even his clothes and why would iceman have a regular meal in his belly if he was on the run?
Could he have been accidentally shot on a hunt with a hunting partner or maybe fell on an arrow possibly his own. This has happened before in modern day. Where was the string or wrapping used around the arrowhead in the body. It just cleanly pulled away from the shaft? His tools were neatly placed around him experts noticed. My theory is that he knew he was dying, like an animal knows sometimes. An animal will go find an area to die. Iceman went on a death hike, exhausted from the long march finally got where he wanted high in the Alps or where he knew he could no longer go, placed his tools down ate his last meal maybe or had his last meal before and standing in front of the rock where they found him cut his own wrist to speed up the process of bleeding out, lost consciousness from lack of blood fell over hit his head on the rock which was cause of fractured skull and blood in his brain and died on the rock.
why did he have to die
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