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What did Ötzi look like?
Following detailed examination of the 1.54 m-long mummy weighing just 13 kg, scientists were able to reconstruct the following facts about the Iceman’s appearance:
The mummy was without a doubt an adult male. Judging from his bone structure, he was around 45 years old. During his lifetime he was around 1.60 m tall – about the average height of the Neolithic population. He was slim with little subcutaneous fatty tissue and probably weighed about 50 kg.
His hair, which all fell out during the mummification process, was dark and wavy. He wore it at least at shoulder length and probably loose. Besides strands of human head hair, shorter, curly hairs were also found at the site, indicating that in all probability the Iceman had a beard.
DNA tests have determined that he had brown eyes. The soft tissues of the face were deformed by the ice. Several experts have meanwhile attempted to reconstruct the Iceman’s facial features. The most recent reconstruction, which will also be on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (pictured), was created by the Dutch artists Adrie and Alfons Kennis. It is based on the very latest research findings.
