Konrad Spindler (1939–2005)

Fascinating. Unfortunately the research is somewhat outdated now, but is perhaps the only accessible account of this amazing discovery.

The Man In Ice
by Konrad Spindler
Translated from German by Ewald Osers
1993
Harmony Books
3.5 / 5.0

In September 1991, mountaineers descending from the Finailspitze alps, in the area of Hauslabjoch, along the border of Austria and Italy, find a body half submerged in a glacier. Attempts to find the age of the corpse from artifacts found around it and the remains themselves place from the Neolithic Period, 5,000 years ago.
This is an absorbing account of the discovery, recovery and study of show more the permafrost mummy, who became known as the Iceman, Otzi.
Interesting and detailed, this is a thorough study with many color photos. show less

This book was written two years after the discovery of the "ice man" in the mountains between Austria and Italy. The discovery, in 1992, was something of a fluke, it turned out. It was only visible for about 11 days, as I recall. If it had not been seen then it would have disappeared again.

Frozen in the ice, the body was almost upright when found, with the top half of the body out of the ice. Archaeologists converged on the site and a team spent a few days getting the body out, damaging show more parts of it in the process.

Many bodies are found in the alps, as in all mountain areas where people climb, but this was different. This one is about 5000 years old. It is also the body of a man who died there, as opposed to being buried there. Most archaeological finds have been from burial sites, so this brought something new to the table.

Because of its age and its circumstances the body drew a lot of media attention and false stories. Spindler, one of the first on the scene and one of the many who examined the body, tries to set the record straight here.

In addition to describing the find and its recovery, Spindler describes how the body is now maintained in temperatures similar to where it was found. He also describes in detail what was found with the ice man: clothing, weapons, tools, and what scientists determined these elements meant. Through the examination of the body and the materials near it, scientists put together a general idea of what the man was (probably a hunter who also managed herds of sheep in some months), where he might have lived (generally, no specific location has been found), and what circumstances led to his death in this lonely place.

In a way, the story reads like a forensic examination, with Spindler going through the possible scenarios for each element and then deciding on the most likely. For those who want to know exactly what was found, where, and in what condition, this book provides the answers. I found it hard-slogging in these areas, and thus put the book aside and then came back to it, reading other books in between.

It is a window into the world of forensic archeaology and anthropology and related sciences. It tells a lot about how certain conclusions are reached in these discoveries. But no, we mortals can't go see the ice man ourselves (although we can buy souvenirs) because of how he must be maintained. Even scientists are allowed only brief periods of time to examine the body. show less

This is well translated, I have been told. The discovery of a body which had been frozen five thousand years ago started a fascinating journey through forensics and international law. The first book on the topic, Spindler's work was necessarily provisional, and has been modified by more work and refinement of techniques. Now he seems a murder victim and not an accidental death. Good place to start.