In 1991, a discovery in the heights of the Italian Alps left the world breathless. A frozen body, found by hikers in Similaun’s glacier, seemed to be a lost mountaineer. However, what scientists unravel after years of study not only challenged expectations, but rewritten the history of mankind. This was not a modern corpse, but a man who lived more than 5,000 years ago. Baptized as Ötzi, the ice man, his DNA has revealed secrets that have surprised researchers and transformed our understanding of ancient Europe.

Ötzi’s discovery occurred by chance. Two German hikers, Helmut and Erika Simon, found the body while walking through the Ötztal Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy. At first, the authorities assumed that it was a recently deceased mountaineer. But when examining it, the scientists realized that they were facing something much more extraordinary. Carbon-14 dating revealed that Ötzi lived around 3300 BC, in the transition between the Neolithic and the Copper Age. “I never imagined that our finding would change the way we see prehistory,” said Erika Simon years later in an interview with National Geographic.

Ötzi’s body, preserved exceptionally by the ice, offered a unique window to the past. Not only was his body intact, but also his clothes, tools and even the content of his stomach. However, it was the analysis of his DNA that unleashed a revolution in archeology. The scientists, led by the Mummias Research Institute of Bolzano, Italy, managed to sequence their full genome in 2012, and the results continue to generate astonishment.

The sequencing of Ötzi DNA allowed researchers to rebuild not only their ancestry, but also intimate details about their life. According to geneticist Johannes Krause, from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, “the Ötzi genome is like an open book that tells us how people lived thousands of years ago.” The analyzes revealed that Ötzi had a genetic ancestry linked to the early agricultural populations of the Near East, which extended through Europe during the Neolithic. But what surprised scientists was the presence of genetic markers that connected it with modern populations of Corsica and Sardinia, rather than with the current inhabitants of the Alps.

In addition, Ötzi DNA showed that it was lactose intolerant, a common characteristic in adults of its time, when the ability to digest milk in adulthood had not yet developed widely in Europe. It was also discovered that he had a predisposition to cardiovascular diseases, a surprising finding since these conditions are usually associated with modern lifestyles. “Finding evidence of heart problems in a man 5,000 years ago forces us to rethink what we know about health in prehistory,” said Albert Zink, director of the Mummiah Research Institute.

The genetic analysis not only revealed the ancestry of Ötzi, but also its physical appearance. The scientists determined that he had brown eyes, dark hair and a skin that was probably darker than was expected for a European time. This discovery challenged previous assumptions about the appearance of old European populations. In addition, Ötzi had tattoos, a total of 61 brands made through incisions and coal, which suggests that it could have had a ritual or therapeutic purpose. “These tattoos are a testimony of the cultural practices of the time, possibly related to healing or identity,” Zink explained.

Ötzi’s portrait became even more vivid when analyzing his clothes and tools. He wore a goat -leather coat, a bear hat and wore a copper ax, an object that indicated a status raised in his community. His arc and arrows, along with a flint dagger, suggest that he was an experienced hunter or warrior. But what most intrigued the researchers was the content of their stomach: remains of monkey and deer goat meat, along with grains, indicating a diverse diet that combined hunting with incipient agriculture.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Ötzi study is the reconstruction of its last hours. Forensic analysis revealed that he did not die of natural causes. An arrow tip housed on its left shoulder, discovered in 2001 by X -rays, indicates that it was seriously injured. In addition, he presented cuts in his hands and a blow to the head, which suggests that he participated in a violent confrontation before he died. “Ötzi did not have a quiet death. His body tells a history of conflict and survival,” said archaeologist Markus Egg, who has studied Ötzi’s artifacts for decades.

The scientists also found pollen in their clothes, which allowed to track their final route. Ötzi probably amounted from an alpine valley to the glacier where it was found, possibly fleeing a danger. This level of detail has allowed researchers to imagine the last moments of a man who lived millennia ago, turning Ötzi into an almost palpable figure, beyond a simple archaeological finding.

The impact of Ötzi transcends his own time. Its DNA has provided an unprecedented vision of migration, diet, health and culture of European copper age populations. The findings have challenged established theories, such as the idea that Europeans of that time had a more homogeneous ancestry. In addition, the Ötzi study has promoted advances in genetic and forensic analysis techniques, which now apply to other ancient remains.

The Mummia Research Institute continues to study Ötzi, and each new analysis seems to reveal something else. “Ötzi is a gift from the past that continues. Every time we study it, we discover something new,” Zink said at a recent conference. Its history has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world, from academics to history fans, because it connects us with a past that, although distant, feels surprisingly close.

Ötzi’s story is not just a scientific story; It is a human narrative that arouses curiosity and astonishment. Who was this man who walked through the Alps 5,000 years ago? What led him to his tragic end? Each discovery about Him invites us to reflect on our own history as a species. Ötzi is not just a frozen body; It is a bridge to our ancestors, a reminder that, even in such a different world, we share the same struggles, hopes and mysteries.

If you want to know more about this fascinating finding, the Bolzano Mummia Research Institute offers online resources, and museums such as the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum exhibit replicas of the Ötzi artifacts. His story is still alive, and with each new study, the ice man reminds us that the past always has more secrets to reveal.