Copper Age Microbiome Revealed in Ötzi Iceman Study

A new study of the 5,300-year-old mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman has revealed a complex and dynamic microbial ecosystem, containing both ancient bacteria from his lifetime and cold-adapted yeasts that may still be active today. The research provides an unprecedented look at a Copper Age human microbiome while raising new questions about conservation and potential biotechnological applications.

Ötzi was discovered in 1991 by hikers in the Ötztal Alps on the Italian-Austrian border. His body, preserved in glacial ice, is now housed at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy, under carefully controlled conditions of minus 6 degrees Celsius and 99 percent humidity. An international research team conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis using swabs from the mummy’s skin, samples of internal meltwater, and previously collected intestinal tissue, comparing them with environmental samples from the discovery site.

The analysis successfully distinguished between microbes that were part of Ötzi’s original biology and those that colonized his remains after death. Within internal tissues, researchers found genetic material from bacteria consistent with his ancient gut...