Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier [Paperback]

In 1991 a dead man was found in a glacier on the Italian side of the Tyrolean Alps. How could he have known, as he settled down for a very long winter's nap, that his discovery would unleash a circus of political, scientific and journalistic shenanigans that would make and break careers and cause international tension? Science writer Brenda Fowler takes a peek at the bizarre odyssey of this incredibly well-preserved frozen corpse in Iceman, covering every step of his transition from Stone Age accident victim to celebrity specimen to museum piece. The cast of characters involved is large and colourful, including archaeologists, small-time politicians, curators, writers and even channellers claiming to speak for "Ötzi", as he came to be known. Initially taken to Austria and studied there, years of political and scientific wrangling brought him back closer to where he was found in northern Italy--though evidence suggests he may have originally come from modern-day Switzerland. Beyond the battles between nationalistic and egotistical players, Iceman contains an absorbing examination of the scientific process at work: hypotheses announced and discarded, the accretion of new evidence, and the ever-narrowing range of explanations for the find. The story is far from over, as research continues even as the question of Ötzi's resting place is settled (temporarily?). With luck, we may soon learn as much about our recent ancestors as we recently learned about ourselves. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"In this well-crafted retrospective, [Fowler] details the intrigue surrounding the man, who was eventually give the name Ozti. She fleshes out what we now know about Ozti's origins and way of life, as well as how he died. . . . Fowler's story also serves as a pointed look at the commercialization of modern science."--"Science News

On September 19th 1991, a couple hiking along an Alpine ridge stumbled upon a frozen, intact corpse melting out of a glacier. He was dubbed "the Iceman", and his discovery - along with the realization that he was actually 5000 years old - set off a whilrwind of political, scientific and media activity that made him an overnight sensation. In this volume, Brenda Fowler takes the reader through the bizarre odyssey that began in the Stone Age and continued for years after the Iceman was unearthed.

Brenda Fowler was a Vienna-based contributor to the The New York Times and covered central Europe and the discovery of the Iceman. Her work has appeared in the London Times and the New York Times magazine. She lives in Chicago. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.