Bortenschlager, Sigmar; Oeggl, Klaus

The Iceman and His Natural Environment : Palaeobotanical Results

Volume 4 of the series The Man in the Ice contains the newest results of the scientific research groups working on the Iceman during the last years. By means of different methods - AMS-radiocarbon dating, bryology, dendrology, analysis of diatoms, macroremains & pollen - the reader gets information about several aspects of the Iceman's lifestyle & environment as well as the vegetation & climate of the Otztal region. Investigations of the artifacts give insight into prehistoric craftsmenship. By several different approaches the potential location of his settlement is reconstructed. The good preservation of the pollen in his food residue allowed even a reconstruction of the season when the Iceman died. Willow leaves contained the information about the CO2 in the air the Iceman breathed. Detailed pollenanalyses of mire deposits in the alpine region of the Otztal gave insight into the genesis of the alpine grass heath & early pastoral farming of a time long before the Iceman lived. Radiocarbondating of organic matter from the Iceman's finding spot detected a piece of wood from the Early Neolithic that demonstrates the early interest of prehistoric people in these highland zones. These are only some of the new results in this book. A perspective of future research activities is given.