Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T07:12:09.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The iceman as a burial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

A. Vanzetti ,
M. Vidale ,
M. Gallinaro ,
D.W. Frayer  and
L. Bondioli
A. Vanzetti
Affiliation:
Dipartimento SSAAA, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy
M. Vidale
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Archeologia, Università di Padova, 35100 Padua, Italy
M. Gallinaro
Affiliation:
Dipartimento SSAAA, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy
D.W. Frayer
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence 66045-2110, USA Sezione di Antropologia, Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico L. Pigorini, 00144 Rome, Italy
L. Bondioli*
Affiliation:
Sezione di Antropologia, Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico L. Pigorini, 00144 Rome, Italy
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Since his discovery in 1991 the iceman has been widely seen as meeting a dramatic end – mortally wounded by an arrow shot while attempting to flee through an Alpine pass. A careful study of all the located grave goods, here planned comprehensively for the first time, points strongly towards the scene as one of a ceremonial burial, subsequently dispersed by thawing and gravity. The whole assemblage thus takes on another aspect – not a casual tragedy but a mortuary statement of its day.

Keywords

Alpine regionCopper Ageicemanformation processburial rite
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 84 , Issue 325 , September 2010 , pp. 681 - 692
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acs, P., Wilhalm, T. & Oeggl, K.. 2005. Remains of grasses found with the Neolithic iceman ‘Ötzi’. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 14: 198–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ANON. 2009. Zur Geschichte des Fersentales. Available at: http://www.jus.unitn.it/icmc/storiated.html (accessed 12 April 2010).Google Scholar
Ascher, R. 1961. Analogy in archaeological interpretation. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 17: 317–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baddeley, A. & Turner, R.. 2000. Practical maximum pseudolikelihood for spatial point patterns. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics 42: 283–322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baddeley, A. & Turner, R.. 2005. Spatstat: an R package for analyzing spatial point patterns. Journal of Statistical Software 12(6): 1–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baddeley, A., Turner, R., Moller, J. & Hazelton, M.. 2005. Residual analysis for spatial point processes. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B 67: 617–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bagolini, B., Dal Ri, L., Lippert, A. & Nothdurfter, H.. 1995. Der Mann im Eis: die Fundbergung 1992 am Tisenjoch, Gem. Schnals, Südtirol, in Spindler, K., Rastbichler-Zissernig, E., Wilfing, H., Nedden, D. zur & Nothdurfter, H. (ed.) Der Mann im Eis. Neue Funde und Ergebnisse: 3–22. Vienna; New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barfield, L. 1994. The iceman reviewed. Antiquity 68: 10–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baroni, C. & Orombelli, G.. 1996. The Alpine iceman and Holocene climatic change. Quaternary Research 46: 78–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bereuter, T.L., Mikenda, M. & Reite, C.. 1997. Iceman's mummification - implications from infrared spectroscopical and histological studies. Chemistry - A European Journal 3: 1032–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Binford, L.R. 1981. Behavioral archaeology and the ‘Pompeii Premise’. Journal of Anthropological Research 37: 195–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bortenschlager, S. & Oeggl, K. (ed.). 2000. The iceman and his natural environment (The man in the ice 4). Vienna; New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bortenschlager, S., Kofler, W., Oeggl, K. & Schoch, W.. 1992. Erste Ergebnisse der Auswertung der vegetabilischen Reste vom Hauslabjochfund, in Höpfel, F., Platzer, W. & Spindler, K. (ed.) Der Mann im Eis. Volume 1: Bericht über das internationale Symposium 1992 in Innsbruck: 307–12. Innsbruck: Universität Innsbruck.Google Scholar
Cano, R.J., Tiefenbrunner, F., Ubaldi, M., Del Cueto, C., Luciani, S., Cox, T., Orkand, P., Künzel, K.H. & Rollo, F.. 2000. Sequence analysis of bacterial DNA in the colon and stomach of the Tyrolean iceman. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 112: 297–309.3.0.CO;2-0>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carancini, G.L. 2006. La produzione metallurgica e le sue molteplici implicazioni in contesti di carattere votivo e sacrale di etá protostorica, in Carancini, G.L. (ed.) Quaderni di Protostoria, Miscellanea Protostorica 2006: 18–69. Perugia: Ali&no.Google Scholar
Dickson, J.H., Wolfgang, H., Porley, R., Schmidl, A., Kofler, W. & Oeggl, K.. 2009. Six mosses from the Tyrolean iceman's alimentary tract and their significance for his ethnobotany and the events of his last days. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 18: 13–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diggle, J.P. 1983. Statistical analysis of Spatial Point Pattern. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Duday, H. 2006. Lezioni di Archeotanatologia. Roma: Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma-Ecole Française de Rome.Google Scholar
Egg, M., Goedecker-Ciolek, R., Groenman-Van Waateringe, W.G. & Spindler, K.. 1993. Die Gletschermumie vom Ende der Steinzeit aus den Ötztaler Alpen. Jahrbuch des Römisch- Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 39: 1–128.Google Scholar
Fleckinger, A. 2005. Ötzi, l'Uomo venuto dal ghiaccio: informazioni e curiositá sul celebre ritrovamento archeologico. Bozen; Wien: Folio.Google Scholar
Fowler, B. 2000. Iceman. New York: Random House.Google Scholar
Garobbio, A. 1969. Alpi e Prealpi: mito e Realtá. Volume 2: Val Trompia e Val Sabbia, lago di Garda, Monte Baldo, Valli Giudicarie, Val di Non e Val di Sole. Bologna: Alfa.Google Scholar
Giono, J. 2009. Il disertore. Milano: Guanda.Google Scholar
Gleirscher, P. 2003. Ausstattungselemente des Mannes aus dem Eismit Blick auf Rangzeichen im kupferzeitlichen Europa. Schriften des Südtiroler Archäologiemuseums 3: 41–55.Google Scholar
Gorfer, A. 2003. Gli eredi della solitudine. Viaggio nei masi di montagna del Tirolo del sud. Sommacampagna (Verona): Cierre.Google Scholar
Gostner, P. & Egarter Vigl, E.. 2002. Insight: report of radiological-forensic findings on the iceman. Journal of Archaeological Science 29: 323–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gostner, P., Egarter Vigl, E. & Reinstadler, U.. 2004. Der Mann aus dem Eis: eine paläoradiologisch-forensische Studie zehn Jahre nach der Auffindung der Mumie. Germania 82: 83–107.Google Scholar
Groenman-Van Wateringe, W. 1993. Analyses of the hides and skins from the Hauslabjoch. Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 39: 114–28.Google Scholar
Grosjean, M., Suter, P.J., Trachsel, M. & Wanne, H.. 2007. Ice-borne prehistoric finds in the Swiss Alps reflect Holocene glacier fluctuations. Journal of Quaternary Science 22: 203–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heiss, A.G. & Oeggl, K.. 2009. The plant macro-remains from the iceman site (Tisenjoch, Italian-Austrian border, eastern Alps): new results on the glacier mummy's environment. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 18: 23–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Höpfel, F., Platzer, W. & Spindler, K. (ed.). 1992. Der Mann im Eis. Volume 1: Bericht über das internationale Symposium 1992 in Innsbruck. Innsbruck: Universität Innsbruck.Google Scholar
Kutschera, W. & Müller, W.. 2003. Isotope language of the Alpine iceman investigated with AMS and MS. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B 204: 705–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lippert, A. 1992. Die erste archäologische Nachuntersuchung am Tisenjoch, in Höpfel, F., Platzer, W. & Spindler, K. (ed.) Der Mann im Eis. Volume 1: Bericht über das internationale Symposium 1992 in Innsbruck: 245–53. Innsbruck: Universität Innsbruck.Google Scholar
Lippert, A., Gostner, P., Egarter Vigl, E. & Pernter, P.. 2007. Vom Leben und Sterben des Ötztaler Gletschermannes. Neue medizinische und archäologische Erkenntnisse. Germania 85: 1–21.Google Scholar
Macko, S.A., Lubec, G., Teschler-Nicola, M., Andrusevich, V. & Engel, M.H.. 1999. The Ice Man's diet as reflected by the stable nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition of his hair. FASEB Journal: official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 13: 559–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, W.A., Zur Nedden, D., Gostner, P., Knapp, R., Recheis, W. & Seidler, H.. 2003. The iceman: discovery and imaging. Radiology 22: 614–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nerlich, A.G., Bachmeier, B., Zink, A., Thalhammer, S. & Egarter-Vigl, E.. 2003. Ötzi had a wound on his right hand. Lancet 362: 334.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nerlich, A.G., Peschel, O. & Ergarter-Vigl, E.. 2009. New evidence for Otzi's final trauma. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 35: 1138–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oeggl, K. 1999. Die letzte Mahlzeit des Mannes aus dem Eis. Schriften des Südtiroler Archäologiemuseums 1: 97–110.Google Scholar
Oeggl, K. 2003. Wurde die Mumie bewegt? Schriften des Südtiroler Archäologiemuseums 3: 91–100.Google Scholar
Oeggl, K. 2009. The significance of the Tyrolean iceman for the archaeobotany of Central Europe. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 18: 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oeggl, K. & Schoch, W.. 2000. Dendrological analyses of artefacts and other remains, in Bortenschlager, S. & Oeggl, K. (ed.) The iceman and his natural environment (The man in the ice 4): 29–61. Vienna; New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oeggl, K., Kofler, W., Schimidl, A., Dickson, J.H. & Egarter Vigl, E.. 2007. The reconstruction of the last itinerary of Ötzi, the Neolithic iceman, by pollen analyses from sequentially sampled gut extracts. Quaternary Science Reviews 26: 853–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oeggl, K., Schmidl, A. & Kofler, W.. 2009. Origin and seasonality of subfossil caprine dung from the discovery site of the iceman (eastern Alps). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 18: 37–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patzelt, G. 2000. Entwicklung der Umwelt seit der letzten Eiszeit. Rundgespräche Kommission Ökologie 18: 119–25.Google Scholar
Pellegrini, E. & Piperno, M.. 1991. L'uomo venuto dal ghiaccio. Archeo 82: 46–52.Google Scholar
Pernter, P., Gostner, P., P., Egarter Vigl, E. & Rühli, F.J.. 2007. Radiologic proof for the iceman's cause of death (ca. 5300 BP). Journal of Archaeological Science 34: 1784–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
R Development Core Team. 2008. R : a language and environment for statistical computing (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna). Available at: http://www.R-project.org (accessed 12 April 2010).Google Scholar
Ripley, B.D. 1977. Modelling spatial patterns (with discussion). Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B 39: 172–212.Google Scholar
Rolle, R. 1992. Die skythenzeitlichen Mumienfunde von Pazyryk: Frostkonservierte Gräber aus dem Altaigebirge, in Höpfel, F., Platzer, W. & Spindler, K. (ed.) Der Mann im Eis. Volume 1: Bericht über das internationale Symposium 1992 in Innsbruck: 334–58. Innsbruck: Universität Innsbruck.Google Scholar
Rollo, F., Ubaldi, M., Ermini, L. & Marota, I.. 2002. Ötzi's last meals: DNA analysis of the intestinal content of the Neolithic glacier mummy from the Alps. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 99(20): 12594–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schiffer, M.B. 1985. Is there a Pompeii Premise in archaeology? Journal of Anthropological Research 41: 18–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spindler, K. 1993. Der Mann im Eis - Die Ötztaler Mumie verrät die Geheimnisse der Steinzeit. München: Bertelsmann-Verlag.Google Scholar
Spindler, K. 1994. The man in the ice: the preserved body of a Neolithic man reveals the secrets of the Stone Age. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.Google Scholar
Spindler, K. 1996. Iceman's last weeks, in Spindler, K., Wilfing, H., Rastbichler-Zissernig, E., Nedden, D. zur & Nothdurfter, H. (ed.) Human mummies (The man in the ice 3): 249–63. Vienna; New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spindler, K., Rastbichler-Zissernig, E., Wilfing, H., Zur Nedden, D. & Nothdurfter, H. (ed.). 1995. Der Mann im Eis: Neue Funde und Ergebnisse. Vienna; New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spindler, K., Rastbichler-Zissernig, E., Wilfing, H., Zur Nedden, D. & Nothdurfter, H. 1996 Human Mummies (The man in the ice 3). Vienna; New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teržan, B. 1994. Bemerkungen zu dem sogenannten Rucksack des Ötztaler Mannes. Archaölogisches Korrespondenzblatt 24(3): 265–8.Google Scholar