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Otzi, which was discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991 by German tourists, is the oldest surviving mummy kept in the ice.
The researchers conducted a study published by Current Biology. first in-depth analysis of the contents of the Iceman's stomach, which offers an "exceptional view" of the ancestor's eating habits.
The study provides important information on eating habits of Europeans 5,000 years ago, in the copper age, as well as clues as to how they prepared the food.
The experts managed to replenish the Iceman's last meal, which had a remarkably high proportion of fats in his diet, supplemented with animal meat such as ibex, a goat type, and red deer , a cereal called spelled and traces of poison fern.
This is the result of Otzi 's stomach analysis, said Frand Maixner, of the Institute of Research for the study of mummies' s. Eurac in the Italian city of Bolzano.
The experts had not been able to perform this analysis until now, because they could not find the stomach. of the Ice Man, since during the natural process of mummification had moved.
In 2009 they managed to establish the location of this organ during a review of the computerized tomographies that had done it and then the project was started to analyze its contents.
"The material of the stomach was, compared to samples of the small intestine analyzed previously, extraordinarily well preserved," the report notes.
In addition, it contained large amounts of unique biomolecules, for example lipids, "This opened up new methodological opportunities to answer our questions about Otzi's diet," explained Ma ixner.
The researchers combined classical microscopy with modern molecular approaches to determine the exact composition of Iceman's diet prior to his death.
The analysis identified that the main source of fat was adipose tissue. ibex; in fact, about half of the contents of the stomach came from fat.
The experts did not expect to find such a fat diet, but they think that "it makes sense" if one takes into account the alpine environment "Such a cold and high environment poses a particular challenge to human physiology that requires optimal intake of nutrients to prevent rapid starvation and loss of energy, "said Albert Zink, also of Eurac.
"The Iceman seemed to know perfectly well," he says, "that fat represents an excellent, strong energy."
The analysis indicates that wild animal meat consumed it fresh or, "perhaps", that the presence of toxic fern particles "is more difficult to explain".
Therefore, they consider that Otzi may have suffered intestinal problems related to already detected parasites. It was found in the intestine, although fern leaves could also be used to wrap toxic food and spores inadvertently ingested.
In addition, the analysis revealed remains of the intestinal bacterial community present in the intestinal contents of the mummy. The researchers are now considering further analysis to reconstruct the ancient microbiota of Otzi and other mummified human remains.
Otzi was about 46 years old and 160 centimeters tall when he died violently: he had a deep cut in his hand. , the result of a first attack, and then an arrow wound, whose tip was found under the right armpit.
When he was found, Iceman was wearing a goatskin hat and hat and beside him a copper ax and a quiver filled with arrows.
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