Otzi, the Iceman's Health, Diet and Diseases | Early European History And Religion

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OTZI'S HEALTH

Otzi's blood cells

Otzi had brown hair and type-O blood. He was lactose intolerant (had problems digesting milk and dairy products), which was common among Neolithic agrarian societies. He had extensive tooth decay and worn teeth and his bones showed signs of a high degree a wear and tear. He also was the first-known carrier of Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread by ticks, and had an ulcer-inducing bacteria. German mummy expert Albert Zink wrote in Science. But for all his parasites, worn ligaments and bad teeth, he was in “pretty good shape”.

Analysis of the "Iceman" with X-rays, CT scans and chemical analysis of bone, tissue and DNA samples has shown that he had very little body fat (indicating he may have been close to starving); he had four broken ribs; and had arthritis in his hip joints, knees, ankles and spine. There were signs of arteriosclerosis and a possible stroke.

Radiologists are unable to determine whether the broken ribs occurred during his lifetime, were caused by the weight of the glacier which preserved him or were made during the recovery process after he was found but think they were probably the result of an injury that occurred in his lifetime. Dr. William A. Murphy, a radiologist from the University of Texas who studies thousands of X-Rays and CAT scan told the New York Times. "It's my opinion that it would take significant force to do that, and I can imagine that force from the weight of ice."

Ötzi's lungs were as black as a smoker's, probably the result of living in a shelter with an open hearth. Deposits on the shinbone that occurred when bone growth stops indicate that Ötzi survived periods of extreme, hunger, illness or metal poisoning when he was 9, 15 and 16 years old. CT scans showed evidence of whipworm eggs in his colon and a fungal infection in his lungs. There were large amounts of copper in Ötzi's hair which may been made during the smelting of copper. Analysis of Otzi’s remaining fingernail indicated he was not healthy, and he suffered from three bouts of serious disease in the final six months of his life.

Otzi’s Health Problems

Otzi was in his mid-40s, which make him rather elderly for a man for his time. He suffered from hardened arteries, worn joints, advanced gum disease, gallstones, and tooth decay. While these ailments no doubt made his life uncomfortable, they were not factors in his death. [Source: Andrew Lawler, National Geographic, October 21, 2021]

20120207-Otzi Museum whipworm egg evidence.jpg
whipworm egg evidence
Otzi’s DNA profile was published in 2012. Michel Rose of Reuters wrote, it revealed Otzi “was predisposed to arteriosclerosis and heart diseases, conditions thought to be more linked to modern risk factors such as being overweight, smoking or drinking. “We know he was a very active person. He was not the type of person who would sit around in a sedentary fashion. It also seems he ate in a healthy fashion,” Graefen said. “So it could be that the genetics count for more than we might have thought previously (for modern conditions such as cardiovascular diseases,” she added. [Source: Michel Rose, Reuters, March 2, 2012]

Despite his normal weight and active life-style, Otzi seems to have suffered from extensive vascular calcification. According to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology: “Computer tomography (CT) scan of the man from the ice was undertaken by radiologists Paul Gostner and Patrizia Pernter in January 2013 in the Department of Radiology of Bozen-Bolzano Hospital. To do this they used a CT-scanner of the latest generation which, thanks to its large opening, allowed the doctors to run Ötzi rapidly through the machine from head to toe despite the way his arm is angled.

In addition to the vascular calcification in the arteries of his stomach and legs which had already been known about, the superior image allowed doctors to spot three small areas of calcification near to the outflow tracts of the heart which had hitherto escaped their notice. This substantiates the earlier finding made by molecular biologists in EURAC that Ötzi had a strong genetic predisposition to cardiovascular diseases and that this was probably also the main reason for his general arteriosclerosis.

Diseases That Otzi Had

Otzi had stomach bacteria that causes ulcers and may have suffered from stomach aches. Before dying, Ötzi had taken a medicinal herb called hop hornbeam, suggesting that he may have been suffering from nausea or stomach upset.

Nikhil Swaminathan wrote in Archaeology: Otzi “may have had Lyme disease—his DNA carries sequences from the bacteria responsible for the illness, which is tricky to identify even today. "We think that the iceman must have had at least some early symptoms, such as fever and temporary weakness," says Albert Zink, head of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman at the European Academy of Bolzano in Italy. "In a later stage, Lyme disease can affect the joints and the nervous system, but we don't have any proof of that for the iceman." [Source: Nikhil Swaminathan, Archaeology, Volume 65 Number 4, July/August 2012]

Catharine Paddock wrote in Medical News Today: “The scientists found DNA traces of Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacteria that causes Lyme disease. "This is the oldest evidence for borreliosis (Lyme disease) and proof that this infection was already present 5,000 years ago," said Carsten Pusch, who led the genetic investigations in Tübingen. The scientists believe the DNA also shows Oetzi was intolerant of lactose, so he would not have been able to digest milk or milk products. This supports the idea that despite the increasing use of dairying and agriculture, lactose intolerance would have still prevailed in Oetzi's generation. The ability for adults to digest milk and milk products developed gradually over the thousand or so years after Oetzi's lifetime, and went hand in hand with the domestication of animals.” [Source: Catharine Paddock PhD, Medical News Today, March 1, 2012]

Was Ötzi a Heart Attack Waiting to Happen?

Laura Geggel wrote in Live Science: A full-body computed tomography (CT) scan showed that Ötzi had three calcifications (hardened plaques) in his heart region, putting him at increased risk for a heart attack. Ötzi also had calcifications around his carotid artery, which carries blood to the head and neck, and in the arteries at the base of his skull, which carry blood to the brain. Both hardened plaques likely elevated Ötzi's risk of a stroke, said Dr. Seth Martin, a preventive cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore who wasn't involved with the new study. [Source: Laura Geggel, Live Science, May 31, 2018]

"I suspect that lifestyle didn't play a major role in his development of plaque," Dr. Philip Green, an interventional cardiologist at New York-Presbyterian who wasn't involved with the study, told Live Science. Despite the suggestion that Ötzi go vegetarian, Zink sees it another way. "Compared to modern standards, he would not be considered as a risk patient," Zink told Live Science. "So, I think a different diet, such as vegetarian or vegan, wouldn’t have helped Ötzi." [9 New Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy]

In the new study, the researchers examined a newer CT scan of Ötzi that was done in 2013. This was Ötzi's first, complete head-to-toe CT scan; his two arms poked out at odd angles, so Ötzi didn't fit in a regular CT machine. Thanks to a new, larger CT scanner at the Central Hospital in Bozen-Bolzano, the researchers were able to image Ötzi's entire body, including his abdomen and chest, allowing them to pinpoint the hardened plaques.

Otzi’s Blood: the World's Oldest

After some red blood cells were found around, it was determined that Otzi’s blood is the world's oldest. The BBC reported: “Researchers studying Oetzi have found red blood cells around his wounds. Blood cells tend to degrade quickly, and earlier scans for blood within Oetzi's body turned up nothing. Now a study in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface shows that Oetzi's remarkable preservation extends even to the blood he shed shortly before dying. The find represents by far the oldest red blood cells ever observed. [Source: BBC, 2 May 2012]

An earlier study by Prof Albert Zink and his colleagues at the Eurac Institute for Mummies, published in the Lancet, showed that a wound on Oetzi's hand contained haemoglobin, a protein found in blood - but it had long been presumed that red blood cells' delicate nature would have precluded their preservation. Prof Albert Zink and his colleagues collaborated with researchers at the Center for Smart Interfaces at the University of Darmstadt in Germany to apply what is known as atomic force microscopy to thin slices of tissue taken from an area surrounding the arrow wound.

“The technique works using a tiny metal tip with a point just a few atoms across, dragged along the surface of a sample. The tip's movement is tracked, and results in a 3-D map at extraordinary resolution. The team found that the sample from Oetzi contained structures with a tell-tale "doughnut" shape, just as red blood cells have. To ensure the structures were preserved cells and not contamination of some kind, they confirmed the find using a laser-based technique called Raman spectroscopy - those results also indicated the presence of haemoglobin and the clot-associated protein fibrin. That, Prof Zink explained, seems to solve one of the elements of the murder mystery. "Because fibrin is present in fresh wounds and then degrades, the theory that Oetzi died some days after he had been injured by the arrow, as had once been mooted, can no longer be upheld," he said.

Ötzi’s Last Meal

Frank Maixner, of Eurac Research in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, led the research of Otzi’s stomach contents. On Otzi last meal,Maya Wei-Haas wrote in National Geographic: Lipids and protein analysis indicate that Ötzi was eating both muscle and fat of the ibex (Capra ibex), a goat still common in the Ötztal Alps. The high-fat stomach contents would have supported energy-intensive treks. “Even though maybe ibex fat tastes horrible,” Maixner jokes. But curiously, though DNA analysis suggests red deer (Cervus elaphus) was also part of the meal, researchers couldn’t figure out what part of the creature Ötzi ate. One possibility is that he consumed its organs, like the spleen, liver, or brain. Degradation may also be an issue. “It’s really hard to say,” Maixner says. . [Source:Maya Wei-Haas, National Geographic, July 12, 2018]

By studying the meat’s microstructures and chemistry and comparing it to modern cooked and uncooked meats, they surmised Ötzi’s meat was not heated above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s most likely the meat was dried for preservation, Maixner says, since fresh meat spoils quickly. The presence of carbon flecks also hint the meat could have been smoked.

Ötzi also ate einkorn wheat and the toxic bracken fern. When eaten in sufficient doses, bracken has been associated with anemia in cattle, and blindness in sheep. It may also have carcinogenic effects. Yet some people still eat small quantities of the plant.

It’s possible Ötzi also indulged in this greenery. “ You can go as far as he might have treated stomach ache with this fern since we knew that he suffered from some stomach pathogens,” says Maixner. But he adds, “this, for me at least, goes a little bit too far.” Another possibility is that he wrapped his food in fern, accidentally ingesting pieces along with his snack — an idea previously proposed for Ötzi’s ingested moss.

What Ötzi’s Last Meal Says About What Copper Age People Ate

Maya Wei-Haas wrote in National Geographic: Together, the diet shows a well-prepared meal, with some fiber, protein and lots of energy-rich fat. “They had knowledge on making preparing the proper clothes, the proper hunting equipment, and this is also true for the diet,” Maixner says. “They were clearly well prepared.” Though it’s just a single sample, the results give a surprisingly detailed look into Ötzi’s final hours. “I don’t know if we’re going to get a whole lot better than this,” says Katherine Ryan Amato, a biological anthropologist at Northwestern University who wasn’t involved in the work. [Source:Maya Wei-Haas, National Geographic, July 12, 2018]

Researchers have long used indirect methods to look at diet, broadly looking at transitions through time, she explains. “This actually lets us get at it on a finer scale and talk about it in more detail,” she says, “which is really exciting.”

The presence of einkorn and barley suggests his people may have practiced rudimentary agriculture. Ker Than wrote for National Geographic: Ibex would have been much more common in Ötzi’s day and would have been a good source of meat for hunters. The animals are usually skittish around humans and will flee at the first opportunity, but a skilled hunter can creep up on one under the right circumstances. For example, “during certain periods when the males are fighting each other, you can get as close as 20 to 50 meters [65 to 160 feet],” Maixner said. According to past studies, such a distance would have been just within range of the bow and arrows that were found with Ötzi, he added. [Source: Ker Than, nationalgeographic.com, June 23, 2011 ***]

“It’s unclear if the ibex meat was cooked, but it’s possible that it was, especially since ash particles associated with other meals, possibly from cooking fires, were found in Ötzi’s lower intestine, Maixner said. Still, strands of animal hair and fly parts also found in Ötzi’s stomach suggest the Iceman wasn’t overly concerned with cleaning the meat before he ate it. It wasn’t the most hygienic of meals,” Maixner said.” ***

Were Ötzi’s Tattoos a Form of Acupuncture?

Otzi had 61 tattoos on his body — the oldest known. CAT scans the tattoos were located at places where Otzi had cartilage damage and probably had arthritis or joint page. The tattoos were probably made by injecting ash beneath the skin with a bone or wooden needle. Their location closely corresponds with the traditional acupuncture points for the treatment of backaches and upset stomachs.

"The tattoos are all located at body regions where the iceman had some health issues and probably experienced periods of pain. For example, he had degenerative diseases of his hip, knee, ankle joints and lower back. Most of the tattoos are located [on] the legs and the lower back,"Albert Zink, head of the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Bolzano, Italy, told Live Science. [Source: Tia Ghose, Live Science , September 27, 2018]

“Chest tattoos may have been used to soothe belly discomfort; he had intestinal parasites and a Helicobacter pylori infection. And some of the inked spots corresponded to traditional acupuncture "pressure points," suggesting to some researchers that the iceman underwent a form of acupuncture, Zink said. Most scientists believe acupuncture first arose in China, and the first written description of it derives from 2,200 years ago, but it could have arisen earlier in some other location, like Europe, Zink said.

Did Ötzi Take Medicine?

Before dying, Ötzi had taken a medicinal herb called hop hornbeam, Scientists also found mosses in his stomach. Ötzi may have used the mosses to wrap his food and unintentionally swallowed them, or consumed them while drinking water from a steam. The mosses were neither nutritious nor tasty which also raised the possibility they too could have been consumed as medicine. [Source: Tia Ghose, Live Science, November 9, 2012]

Tia Ghose wrote in Live Science: At the time of his death, the iceman had a "medicinal mushroom" known as birch polypore in his digestive system. Birch polypore is thought to have anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing properties, Zink said. Ötzi had also consumed ferns, which could have been either a primitive food wrapper that Ötzi mistakenly ate or a treatment to kill off the parasitic worms that plagued the iceman, Zink said. [Source: Tia Ghose, Live Science , September 27, 2018]

"The ancient society of the iceman most likely already had a considerable knowledge about medical treatment. It seems that they used different forms of therapy, including physical treatment and using medical plants. This definitely requires a certain knowledge of the human anatomy as well as how diseases arise and develop," study author Albert Zink, head of the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Bolzano, Italy, told Live Science.

Image Sources: Otzi Museum

Text Sources: National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Nature, Scientific American. Live Science, Discover magazine, Discovery News, The Times of London, Natural History magazine, Archaeology magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, AP, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides and various books and other publications.

Last updated May 2024