Ötzi the Iceman
The Ancients
History Hit
4.7 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 12 October 2023
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ötzi, otherwise known as the Iceman, is a renowned glacial mummy uncovered in 1991 in the Tyrolean Alps between Italy and Austria. Found by mountain hikers at 3,200 meters above sea level, his discovery was due to melting ice sheets and marked a significant archaeological breakthrough.
In this episode, host Tristan Hughes delves deep into the world of Glacial Archaeology with expert Lars Pilø, Editor of Secrets of the Ice. Together, they discuss the mysteries surrounding Ötzi – from his possessions and his final days 5,000 years ago, to his tattoos and cause of death. Plus, Lars shares the latest in Glacial Archaeology and highlights from his own groundbreaking research.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Have you ever wondered what sorts of treasures were discovered in Tutankhamin's tomb, |
| 0:04.8 | or what our earliest evidence is for humans in Britain, |
| 0:09.3 | or even where the Alexander the Great died of a hangover? |
| 0:14.0 | Well, you can find the answer to questions like these and hundreds more in our new book, |
| 0:18.4 | The History Hit Miscellany. It's the perfect present for any history fan, |
| 0:23.6 | and it's available to buy now from your favourite bookshop, |
| 0:26.8 | or visit historyhit.com slash book. |
| 0:44.7 | In 1991, history's most famous ice mummy, |
| 0:48.8 | melted out of the ice in a galley at the Tissignoch Pass, |
| 0:52.6 | 3,200 metres above sea level in the Alps, close to the Italian Austrian border. |
| 0:59.8 | We know him as Ertse. |
| 1:05.2 | More than 5,000 years old, Ertse was discovered alongside a series of artifacts, |
| 1:10.8 | including a damaged bow, a copper axe, a hat, loincloth, dagger, walking stick, |
| 1:18.4 | birch bark container, what may well be an early Bronze Age backpack, and more. |
| 1:24.5 | His body has been so well preserved that scientists have been able to learn more about the man's |
| 1:29.8 | diet, his last voyage, and what ultimately happened to him was Ertse a Bronze Age murder victim, |
| 1:38.3 | possibly. In this episode, we'll be exploring the story of Ertse the ice man with glacial archaeologist |
| 1:44.8 | Lars Pilar. Lars is one of the leaders behind the amazing secrets of the ice project. |
| 1:52.0 | They go out on expeditions in Norway to find and document ancient artifacts that have |
| 1:57.4 | melted out of the ice for the first time in thousands of years because of melting glaciers. |
| 2:04.1 | There finds vary from Iron Age arrows to prehistoric skis, which you can go and see on their |
| 2:09.6 | social media pages and on their website. So in this episode, we'll be looking at the story of |
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