Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Announcements => Topic started by: Pat B on October 23, 2012, 11:44:40 pm
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Tomorrow night, Wednesday Oct. 24 at 9:00pm on NOVA on PBS.
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Thanks for the heads up Pat, I don't have television, wonder if that can be picked up on broadband?
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I don't know if you can Fred but try PBS.org
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I did a quicky and it doesn't look like it's available. Maybe I can pick it up later.
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Just got done watching it. Pretty good stuff, but nothing much new that I didn't know before, except that his last meal was einkorn and ibex. In other words, he had the best of two worlds...agriculture was providing complex carbohydrates, hunting providing healthy protein. He does carry the gene for heart disease and has two calcium deposits in a major artery indicating atherosclerosis.
There was some suggestion in the past that the wound on the hand was not a defensive wound, but rather from gripping his blade with both hands to dig it into the glacier like if he was in an uncontrolled glissade. But they showed a wonderful aerial shot of the location of the body. It's right near the very top of a ridgeline, it doesn't seem likely that he was caught in an avalanche. The spot was mostly exposed.
Other arguements for an accidental death (like one of his own arrows falling from the quiver and piercing his back, the death blow) was that his VERY valuable copper axe was left with the body. The documentary reasons that the arrow shaft was pulled to hide the identity of the shooter and the axe was something that was so rare that the new owner would have immediately been known as the killer.
One other interesting thing was that his DNA links him to people from Sardinia. But I think I remember that strontium atoms in his body indicate that he grew up in northern Italy.
In the end, like all scientific investigations, each answer just raises more and more questions. I guess we'll never know all the answers surrounding his death. Rest well, Otzi, brother archer.
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Caught it last night. Good summary of the new information JW.
Doesn't it seem coincidental that he was killed at the summit, it is like a last climb, assisted suicide. If that was the case, I just can't imagine taking the shot on someone you know, from a distance, uphill, at the summit of the Alps. Stands to reason though that after a climb, he enjoyed a good last meal and perhaps his belongings were left out of respect. Did he choose his precise location knowing he would be encased in ice? If he was being pursued and knew it...would he have stopped to eat?
I was in high school when they discovered the mummy and I learned about it in class early on. I've always enjoyed following the story...
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Wish I coulda caught it. No television either.
I love ancient histories.
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It looks like it is on PBS.org now. I am at work atm so haven't watched it yet. I plan to tonight when I get home.
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My son and I just watched it online.
Pretty impressive, we think he was a tribal leader and got too old.
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Yeah it was a really cool show, and I think you're right Angel.