Frozen Fritz a.k.a. Otzi the Iceman
They say it's an ill wind and all that, and today C and took the opportunity (as he can't ski for the rest of the week) to travel to Bolzano. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT C on his way to visit the 6 foot Nordic nurse!
Bolzano is a beautiful Italian city, with a lovely piazza and cathedral, and some super little streets. There was also a street market going on which i almost blipped as the fruit and veg and cheeses and cold meats made a fabulous display.
However, the reason of our trip to Bolzano was to see Frozen Fritz a.k.a. Otzi the Iceman. He was discovered in 1991 by some walkers, high up in a glacier. In the last 20 or so years a lot of research has been done on his body (which is a "wet" mummy") and also on his belongings - arrows, arrow heads, a club, axe, cloak, shoes, backpack. It is now known that Otzi lived approximately 5,300 years ago. It was absolutely fascinating and well worth the 3 hour return trip on the bus.
We had seen several documentaries on TV about Otzi, and couldn't not go to see him when we were so close. His body and clothing etc were well preserved as he had died in a gully, so when the ice came and went, it passed over him and didn't drag him down the mountain, where he would not have been preserved. The research that has gone on has uncovered quite a few new things that were unknown before, and have also changed the ideas that scientists and historians previously had e.g. at what altitude the people in that time would have been walking.
This is a life-size reconstruction of Otzi and the possessions that were found with him.
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