[Music] he roamed the Alps in a time before recorded history an era half a century earlier than the pyramids three thousand years before Christ he had no written language to record his name or the purpose of his solitary trek high into the mountains of Central Europe but this Stone Age Mountaineer left us one of the greatest archaeological treasures of all time and the keys to unlocking a period of human history that connects his existence to ours he is called Otzi after the valley near where his body was found following some 5000 years in ice this is his world [Music] the Mountaineers last thoughts were probably about survival despair over the storm that overtook him or grim acceptance of the exhaustion that dogged his steps here at 10,000 feet by hiding in a natural rock hollow perhaps he meant to outlast the blizzard around his makeshift camp he laid down the tools food and weapons that could no longer save him then he fell asleep in September 1991 two German tourists spotted a human corpse protruding from an alpine ice bed near the Austria Italy border the first battery of rescuers which included a forensic scientist had no idea of what they'd found an avalanche victim perhaps or an unlucky skier or climber digging with a jackhammer and ski poles they did more to damage the body than 50 centuries in a frozen grave the ice man's clothing weapons and rucksack were scattered and damaged artifacts were lost it was a week after this television footage was shot that the body sparked the interest of Konrad Spindler the University of Innsbruck Institute for prehistory and early history he would quickly take steps to preserve the remains after recognizing the mummy for what it is a gold mine in the study of ancient humanity the oldest best preserved human ever found interest in the Ice Man was instant and overwhelming a team of 100 austrian and german scientists began putting together answers to the first round of questions Otzi stood about 5 feet 2 inches tall and died between 25 and 40 years of age carbon-14 dating showed that his corpse was about 5,200 years old on his body were several fascinating and mysterious tattoos on site researchers found a well-preserved fur cap among the Iceman's worldly possessions as they continue the search more objects were found [Music] hung on a leather thong this stone disc was probably an amulet to ward off evil to birchbark boxes and to maple leaves were found these might have carried a coal Ember a ball of fungus whose antibacterial properties would have helped heal minor wounds this fruit from a slow tree would have made a high-carbohydrate snack and these grains of wheat may help indicate his origin [Music] the Iceman's most remarkable possession an intact copper bladed axe one of the oldest ever found in Europe as scientists sift through ice and rock for more clues it is ultimately Otzi's mountaineering gear that may answer more questions about the world he lived in than his physical remains scientists believed they are the keys to a complicated geographical puzzle one that might reveal the ice man's home the puzzle of where and how the five thousand year old man lived begins here on the spot where he died it's called the teasin yolk in the Tyrolean Alps the Tizen yoke is ineffective cross roads no less than seven known Stone Age cultures once thrived below this confluence of mountains the ice man could have come from any one of them to archaeologists Otzi's era belongs to the culture groups called the fin outtime Monse lagarza the vasya boca cuadrado as well as the Horgan and remodel Oh their settlements line Northwest northeast and south of the Alps guided by his equipment scientists are trying to discover which ancient community the Iceman called home the ice man's 14 viburnum wood arrows provide the first clue together with their Flintstone heads they would indicate that Otzi came from the south [Music] this concurs with most experts opinion that Otzi was a shepherd from what are now the italian outs his clothing made of animal hides and woven grass seems consistent with this view yet the iceman was discovered at 10,500 feet the highest altitude of any prehistoric human found in europe if he was a shepherd what was he doing here far above the tree line and grazing land [Music] one hypothesis is that he was on a religious pilgrimage to ancient holy sites found in the alpine reaches their elaborate petroglyphs portray prehistoric life and spiritual yearning from the Ice Age to the Neolithic just before Otzi's time italy's lombard region was the principal center for petroglyphs they celebrated fertility agriculture and metal together these images might have comprised the Iceman's church like the ancient artists who carved these images Otzi lived at the height of the Copper Age which began about 4000 BC [Music] these copper daggers were recent and important technological achievements in his part of the world other new tools of the era included the four wheeled ox cart and the plow shown here with two men these images carved by Neolithic farmers and herdsmen are an illustrated storybook of hunting village life and mastery over agriculture although drawings abound the oldest actual plow found in Central Europe came from a time more than a thousand years after the Ice Man archaeologists believe this tool was probably invented long before men like Otzi used it for cultivating the land at first it probably had a ritual significance connected to worshipping the earth by the Copper Age central Europeans had learned to live in relative comfort in the Alps icy reaches yet they maintained deep reverence for nature and a healthy respect for the dead [Music] during the Iceman's age and beyond ancient sculptors often expressed the sacred in stone sand stone graves were created with large portals out of these flew the souls of the dead [Music] these copper age engravings portrayed daggers and even axes similar to the one found with the Iceman they tell us that the tool Otzi carried to his death was not just important but like the plow might also have been considered sacred these stylized figures are seven feet tall they may represent a God or a hero from myth combined with his tattoos the axe lends weight to the theory that Otzi himself may have been a holy man or at least a man of high social standing his knife made of ash wood and Flintstone was a much more common tool Flint is harder and more plentiful than copper in the Iceman's day the shiny metal was reserved for jewelry and objects that imparted status to their owner like his axe the story of how copper arrived in Central Europe began in 4500 BC more than a thousand years before the Iceman's time [Music] cultures then were already working with copper in the Balkans slowly the new technology made its way to Central Europe through parts of Hungary Austria and Switzerland 4000 years before Christ copper was being extracted from the ground throughout the Alps and Carpathian Mountains [Music] this spiral shaped ornament was discovered south of present-day Vienna copper daggers and axes were common tools for Lake dwellers in parts of Austria and Switzerland [Music] this is the site of a naturally protected settlement on the mountain of guichen in Austria here ancient Smiths worked the metal into knife blades and arrowheads they extracted it from prehistoric mines which have survived until today miners followed exposed veins of copper ore on the ground surface later during the bronze age miners actually dug into the earth to depths of more than four hundred feet here modern miners still encounter the caved-in mines of the Ancients the fact that some Bronze Age men were miners indicates a high level of job specialization and a rapidly developing culture such a culture would also have had experienced professional Smith's at Leo burns University of mining in Austria archeologists reenact the creation of the ice man's axe to achieve the same temperature as the bellows Copper Age Smith's might have blown air through hollow sticks the liquid metal is poured into a standing clay form like the original this replica showed characteristic flaws under x-ray examination the original axe was finished by hammering to harden and sharpen the edges for the archaeological community the significance of the Iceman's copper axe took a while to sink in ultimately however it could mean a major rewriting of European ancient history Don TLC's ancient world [Music] finding the Iceman's copper axe is the most important discovery so far in the study of the life and times of Otzi the world's oldest preserved human [Music] for reasons found in this cornfield in Italy's Pahlavi it will probably mean rewriting the book on the neolithic and copper ages in Central Europe here at the end of the 19th century 124 graves were discovered dating from around 2700 BC the remedy low graves as they are known contained copper axe blades made in a flanged style similar to the Iceman's anthropologists had been certain that none of the famous remedy law artifacts dated from before 2700 BC but Otzi owned a blade very much like these more than 600 years before the mountaineers copper blade however does not overshadow the significance of his tools made of Flint stone Flint could also tie the Iceman to Italy and the ancient settlement south of the Alps near what is now Verona Italy a well-developed Flint stone industry once thrived it had trading ties to both north and south of the Alps [Music] there at the end of the Neolithic period men mind Flintstone using this fundamental technique the color of the stone found here matches the Iceman's The Iceman might have bartered for his Flint stone tools but evidence suggests he made these implements himself with him he carried a tool that could do the job this section of linden tree has a piece of antler embedded in the tip as the tool wore down its user could sharpen it like a pencil as a craftsman Otzi could have traded his high-quality Flint for other useful objects the resourceful Mountaineer also carried an emergency meal of wild goat meat his clothing made of deer goat fur and woven grass was perfectly suited for life in the high mountains still Otzi's precautions and tools just weren't enough the exhaustion or the storm that overtook him had come too fast if a storm really was what killed the ice man as experts suggest it might have been part of a global cooling trend he couldn't possibly have foreseen [Music] atmospheric scientists know that in the Iceman's day average temperatures were about to fall dramatically bringing ice fields lower and covering pasture land in the Alps at sea might have made camp in a once safe spot and been caught in the cold cycles first bitter snows these descending temperatures and ice fields are what protected his body for 50 centuries the same cold snap also protected a permanent encampment of Mesolithic hunters in Italy's Dolomites mountains it was here in 1987 that researchers from the University of Ferrara made another of this century's most important discoveries a gravesite at the highest altitude ever found in Europe 6,500 feet above sea level under the protective overhang of this enormous rock hunters made their home around 6,000 BC 3,000 years before the ice man scientists working here have discovered that this ancient community went to great lengths to look after their dead valuable possessions were buried along with the bodies which lie in graves close to the camp these objects were placed in fur bags that have long since decomposed in the graves their possessions included objects made of bone horn and stone these hunters existed nearly 3,000 years too early to have made up Ozzy's community but perhaps their descendants did during the Neolithic period life here underwent a fundamental change farmers first appeared on the scene bringing their newly domesticated cattle to graze in the meadows this storage pot from Otzi's time was found not far from his grave in Italy's mondo val de sora region [Music] alpine pasture land here has been in use continuously since the Iceman's time even after temperatures blew colder the roots these ancient shepherds followed through the Alps makes this a likely home for the man from 3000 BC [Music] Iceman's world will return on TLC's ancient world ends on TLC's ancient world [Music] following the paths of ancient herders contemporary Tyroleans guide their sheep to the hot soul Valley for which Otzi the Iceman is named since a global temperature change that occurred 5000 years ago these high alpine trails have only been passable in the summer seasons the main prehistoric crossing over the Tyrolean Alps passes north and south through the teason yoke near where oxy was found sheep herders weren't the only ones who used this pass Copper Age merchants conducted trade between Valley cultures south of the Alps and Lake Shore villages to the north the Iceman could have been one such trader a more likely theory however suggests Otzi was a shepherd who climbed into the pass from a farming community north of where he died like this one in Austria's gurgler meadow here 4000 years before Christ Stone Age farmers grazed herds of goats and sheep evidence of this is based on some archeological detective work botanists at the University of Innsbruck have known for some time that shepherds in the Stone Age burned down forests for pasture land after discovering pollen in the earth itself scientists concluded that's what happened here in the Iceman's time the tree line lay at an altitude of seven thousand 380 feet about five hundred feet higher than today once again pollen remnants in the Alpine War recorded these climatic changes before that change Alpine passes were warmer and easier to traverse getting across the narrow River gorges however was another story until bridges were built in the Middle Ages farmers and traders took detours along the safer heights one of these trails leads from south to north west and the Swiss region of settlements that might have been the Iceman's home on this well-traveled ancient trail is graubünden in modern-day Switzerland as far back as the early Stone Age there was already a settlement at nearby musty air arrowheads found nearby are of the same style and period as the Iceman's even if he didn't come from precisely this location Otzi was probably familiar with the terrain which isn't far from where he died based on the scant amount of food he was carrying some herbs and a bit of meat his home was probably not more than a few days journey away these stirring landscapes made up the iceman stomping ground where he hunted or farmed high above the mass of civilization it hasn't changed all that much in 5000 years Otzi might still recognize it today [Music] the Iceman was probably also familiar with the cave of ills ku bells located on a major Alpine route at about 5,000 feet this honeycomb of caverns and hollows would have offered a night's protection or a camp during a hunting trip here archaeologists found fragments of prehistoric cooking utensils [Music] and more significantly a small piece of raw copper and these pointed bones of different shapes the Iceman carried bones like these in his quiver his home could have been here archaeologists now speculate that he used the bones as arrowheads [Music] well-worn ancient trails would have taken the Iceman across these Meadows along the way he could have met traders 5,000 years ago commerce between communities north and south of the Alps was blooming one major reason for this trade was the development of copper tools previously an individual's wealth could be expressed by owning a lot of animals or a large harvest copper tools and ornaments allowed an individual to carry his riches with him this encouraged traders to find routes between previously isolated villages in addition to copper they traded in tools of bone and wood muscles and marble [Music] the Iceman's community probably enjoyed trade relations with ancient communities at the foot of the northern out here the fin mon c and Horgan settlements had at least one thing in common they all built their villages on stakes driven into the ground on or near lakes the placement of these communities has given scientists a cornucopia of evidence about the lake dwellers lifestyle with the help of fragments preserved in the water or nearby bogs archeologists have been able to reconstruct their homes and even furniture near Lake Constance in southern Germany one such settlement was recreated this village consists of 40 homes in which as many as 300 people might have lived the settlements display simple functional planning the homes were built in parallel rows along canals or pathways sometimes a protective fence enclosed the structures the natural barrier of water added another level of security the house walls were usually woven like a basket then coated with mud or play on average each house had two rooms the lake dwellers wove their clothing from flax plant fiber and wool grinding grain was part of their daily routine [Music] fishing raising livestock and gathering fruit made up their livelihood they also grew various types of wheat wheat pollen found in the ice man's clothing shows that he had recently traveled to some low altitude region perhaps this one legumes including peas and ground millet rounded out the Lake dwellers diet in addition to homes these communities had workshops and religious cult centers [Music] mysteriously decorated wall ornaments were discovered at one of these centers at Lake o Burlingham one of the most famous lake dwelling discoveries is in baden-wuerttemberg in Germany for 120 years the excavation site has yielded valuable clues to ancient cultures modern researchers here pieced together fragments to get an idea of the village layout a number of homes scientists believe the village burned around 3900 BC between various excavation projects thought the site is filled in with moist earth to protect the remains [Music] besides architectural fragments scientists here have recovered woven caps [Music] sandals made of the bark of linden trees [Music] and boxes of bark in which the ancients kept their most valuable belongings [Music] this four inch disc is one of the oldest copper artifacts ever found in the Alps dating from five hundred years before the Iceman the copper axe carried by Otzi could also have been manufactured near here and come into his possession through trade this similar axe was found nearby one last waterside village on the Munsey lake has just begun to be explored ceramic pottery found here shows engravings of angular lines and Sun wheels probably tied to the cycle of the seasons copper working was also in full bloom a spiral ornament almost identical to these was found near Vienna [Music] innumerable pots used for smelting were also recovered they point to a true copper manufacturing center where everything from copper amulets to fish hooks could be created then sold [Music] the development of trade between the northern cultures and communities closer to the Iceman's grave site is still being explored [Music] Iceman's world will return on TLC's ancient words on TLC's ancient world [Music] near kufstein austria lies one of the most famous ancient settlements in the northern Tyrol that Tish offer cave was continuously inhabited since the late Stone Age here were found two copper needles needles probably used for making tattoos the five thousand-year-old Iceman wore several skin markings that would normally have been hidden by his clothing parallel lines on his lower back and stripes on his right ankle the cross behind his left knee whether these tattoos were ceremonial or emblems of status is not yet known in the southern region of the Alps two final ancient communities their consideration as the possible home of the ice man they are at the la cosa and the vasya boca cuadrado in these areas Stone Age man settled along the sides of valleys and major rivers out of reach of flooding probably for protection from enemies they withdrew to almost inaccessible altitudes the natural fortification of the Johanna scuffle is guarded on three sides by sheer drops and unscalable cliffs these community sites were well protected but very inconvenient for early man archaeologists continue to speculate about the dangers and rivalries that made these settlers want to live at such extremes [Music] this is the remote castle of Yuval own today by Mountaineer reinhold messner in the early Stone Age a settlement thrived here one the Iceman probably knew of the village of mezzo Corona was built on a spot inhabited for thousands of years naturally protected from flooding its sloping terraces have attracted settlers since ancient times excavation in the region yielded some fascinating behavior [Music] the bones found here point to activity involving the preparation of the dead archaeologists believe that many copper Age cultures defleshed the bodies of the deceased prior to burial to make room for new graves old bones were unearthed and burned the hard to reach ledges of the treant area also attracted Stone Age settlers archaeologists have learned to focus exploration on areas like this that offer natural protection [Music] a close source of water was also important to ancient humans those settlers preferred streams to rivers because streams are less prone to flooding when Copper Age humans began working with metals a steady supply of water became even more important near the streams is the massive stone roof of the Gabbin site under it is the tree and settlement one of the oldest in the Alps digging to a depth of 16 feet archaeologists have discovered a settlement dating from 7,000 to 1600 BC at a depth of about seven feet like Copper Age artifacts from the period of the Ice Man in addition to tools of Flint bone and stone researchers found a variety of earthen pots cups and religious amulets objects made of copper have yet to be discovered here [Music] prehistoric people's also left their mark in the caves of Upper Italy these caves provided shelter for the people of the vazhi a boca quadratic as well as Copper Age settlers for decades both archaeologists and spelunkers have explored the region's vast underworld at seized influence has been felt even here because of his discovery three copper axes found in the caves have been assigned new dates it appears that metal was in use in Italy about 1,000 years earlier than scientists once thought [Music] Iceman's world will return on TLC's ancient world it's on TLC's ancient world [Music] many mysteries surround the existence of all ancient Europeans not just at sea the story of Europe's settlement by early humankind will be rewritten many times before firm conclusions are found the discovery of the Iceman has introduced more puzzles than it is solved was the Mountaineer headed north or south was he a holy man bent on a spiritual quest or a simple Shepherd overcome by a storm was he a copper trader miles from hearth and home [Music] all that really seems certain is that he died in his sleep resting on his stomach some 5,000 years later he was found here [Music] explorers and researchers will leave no stone unturned in trying to piece together a biography of the remarkable ancient man with great luck they might discover evidence that ties him conclusively to one of the ancient communities we've just explored but even if that happens we will still know little about Otzi and who demand from the Copper Age really was piece by piece a more complete story will unfold about the 5,000 year old man from the glacier it will teach us more about ourselves [Music] the search will continue to learn more about the Iceman to rediscover the world he knew and our ancient past [Music] you
we also know now that the iceman was murdered by an arrow in his back
I know the date is wrong but I couldn't find this documentary on google.