Researchers analyzed the clothes of the 5,300-year old Iceman and discovered that the ancient people used animals as wardrobe material. Thanks to advanced DNA analysis, the science world know has a better knowledge of life in the Copper Age.
Otzi is one of the most famous men in the world at the age of 5,000. The so-called “Iceman” was discovered in 1991 by hikers on the Italian Otzal Alps. The man’s body was so well preserved that it became a natural mommy, allowing scientists to know more about the ancient people.
The Iceman was found with his clothes almost intact along his personal weapons that included old axes and hammers. Since the discovery, scientists have performed several investigations to know more about ancient civilizations during the Copper Age.
Previous studies showed Otzi’s clothing was made from different animals. However, researchers had to perform several investigative methods to determine the material and compounds on the clothes.
A recent investigation published today in the journal Nature Scientific Reports shows the Iceman had several amounts of clothing including shoes, leather coats and ancient leggings made of different animals.
“We have discovered that the iceman’s clothes were composed of an array of different animals,” said co-author of the study Niall O’Sullivan from the University College in Dublin.
Ancient fashion
Researchers were able to extract animal DNA from Otzi’s clothes and determine what animals made up the Iceman’s wardrobe. It turns out the hat worn by the ancient man was made out of brown bear fur and scientists think there might be a meaning behind it.
Otzi’s coat was made of several animal’s skins including two different species of sheep and goat. Meanwhile, another layer was made primarily of sheep. The Iceman’s leggings were made of goatskin, which researchers found to be similar to another preserved man found.
The shoes were made out of grass, and the laces had traces of cow, while the quiver worn by Otzi was made of roe deer. Researchers didn’t expect to find several types of animals on the Iceman’s coat; the discovery leads to the belief that despite living a domestic life with animals, Otzi also hunted for wardrobe.
Researchers also analyzed the animals DNA and compared it to now-days species, to determine if they were ancient animals, the results showed the animals on Otzi’s clothes were not extinct and are relatives of modern-day cows and sheep.
Otzi has been analyzed for a long time, leading researchers to know almost everything about the ancient man like his quick and violent death due to a head impact, his last deer meal, his suffering from arthritis and that he was a handyman that worked with some agriculture.
Researchers hope to find more about Copper Age societies and their habits through Otzi’s well-preserved body.
Source: Nature