Curse of Otzi - Otzi and the mysterious curse

Who is Otzi the Iceman?

On September 19, 1991, while making their way across the Otztal Alps, two German climbers discovered a mummy preserved intact in ice - this is considered a mummy dating Europe's oldest mummy. A controversial mummy autopsy was later conducted at Hauslabjoch, on the border between Austria and Italy. Scientists have made a series of theories about the age of the mummy at the time of death, the cause of death, the state of health . but the most important question is: What did he do in the middle of the surrounding Alps. this snowy year?

Also known as 'The Tyrolean Iceman', Otzi is a 45-year-old mummy. The body is also equipped with many tools such as stone axes, unfinished bows, leather arrow bags and a backpack-shaped frame made of pine and chestnut wood. At that time, scientists identified a few Otzi items that had been used many thousands of years ago.

A lot of research has been done on the mummy of Otzi, and archaeologists believe it is possible that Otzi lived during the transition between the Bronze and Stone Ages in Central Europe more than 5,000 years ago. Radiocarbon studies of Otzi's body tissues suggest that his death probably occurred around 3,200 BC.

The body of the mummy

When discovered, Otzi's body was perfect and intact, including clothes and utensils. Therefore, a big controversy broke out among scientists about Otzi's background: was he just an ordinary shepherd or a magician?

The first theory is that Otzi carried hunting tools such as bows, arrows . so this must be just an ordinary shepherd. Detailed autopsies of the body showed that Otzi was a citizen of the Vinschgau region south of the Alps. Also found was a bronze ax with a yew handle, a leather quiver, a whetstone, a hunting pouch and a sheath.

The pollen found identified him as dead in early autumn, which is also consistent with data collected from the remains of Otzi's clothing. Otzi's cape, leggings, shoes are made of goatskin and Otzi's hat is made of bear fur and a pair of grass shoes. This suggests that Otzi may have died from an early winter storm while hunting.

Otzi .'s finder

However, another theory is that Otzi found his way to the top of the mountain to communicate with spiritual forces because in addition to the hunting tools found, scientists also found white marbles and stones. twisted tassels. Moreover, on the mummy there are also some tattoos that lead to Otzi being suspected of possibly being a shaman. In ancient times, white stone holders often carried powers associated with the spiritual world. Although this theory is more difficult to stand, it is still an open question about Otzi's background, and about the terrifying curse this mummy brings.

Otzi's Curse

After the Otzi mummy was unearthed, it brought the deaths of 7 people involved. The first is Rainer Henn, 64, a forensic pathologist at the University of Innsbruck. He died in a car accident while on his way to a meeting about his research work.

Next was Kurt Fritz, 52, the mountain guide who is said to have spotted Otzi's face for the first time, who died in an avalanche. Then there was Rainer Holz, 47, who had made a documentary about the excavation of Ötzi, who had died of a brain tumor.

The next victims were Helmut Simon, 69, famous as Otzi's father because he was one of the two climbers who found the mummy. He died from a fall. Next was Dieter Warnecke, 45, the head of the rescue team that searched for Simon's body, who also died of a heart attack shortly after Simon's funeral.

Not stopping there, the next person to die was Konrad Spindler, 66, leader of a team of scientists who examined Otzi's body in Innsbruck, Austria. Finally, Tom Loy, 63, the molecular archaeologist who made remarkable discoveries about Ötzi's clothes and weapons, died of an inherited blood disease. One by one, the people related to Otzi all passed away quickly without an answer.

Currently, Otzi's mummy is being preserved at the South Tyrol Museum. Scientists hope to get a DNA sample of Otzi to find the modern 'relatives' of the mummy in this mysterious ice.