A few days before his death in the Italian Alps, about 5.3 thousand years ago, Oetzi sharpened his instruments. He may have done it with his right hand, according to researchers at Soprintendenza Archeologia, who conducted a new analysis of scratches on instruments, Live Science reports. However, sharpening does not necessarily mean that he was preparing for a duel.
An earlier analysis of the mummy showed that the ice man died from a head injury and an arrow that hit him in the shoulder and severed an artery. Ötzi's remains were found in northern Italy in 1991 and still surprise scientists today. The study found that the ice man had a variety of health problems, including heart problems, arthritis, dental inflammation, and lactose intolerance. He may have suffered from Lyme disease.
Meanwhile, until now, its weapons have not been so thoroughly studied. Oetzi had a copper ax, a scraper, a bone awl, and arrowheads. Scientists examined the instruments using computed tomography and powerful microscopes.
Analysis of the silicon, from which many of Oetzi's tools were made, showed that the material could have been mined at three locations. The closest was at a distance of 40 km from the place where the mummy was found. The farthest is at a distance of 75 km. Scientists suggest that Oetzi lived in the Vinschgau valleys located in South Tyrol. Researchers also believe that the ice man or his fellow tribesmen traded in items from other areas.
The shape of the arrowheads found on Ötzi testifies to their belonging to the culture that existed in the north of Italy, while the scraper resembled devices made by representatives of the Horgen culture who lived in the territory of modern Switzerland. The copper of the ax was mined in Tuscany in the center of Italy.
Ötzi's tools have been sharpened over the years. However, two artifacts were updated shortly before his death. It is an oval scraper that could be used to cut plants or to process hides, as well as an awl used to make holes in materials such as wood.
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