The Iceman and his Natural Environment

Before the discovery of the "Man in the Ice" in temporal context. On the other hand the reconstruc tion of the Iceman's life-style as derived from data September 1991, little was known about the Neolithic obtained from the site has to be correlated with inde period in the Central Alps. Suddenly and without precedent, here was the very well preserved corpse of pendent data sets. For that purpose pollen analysis was a man who had lived more than 5,000 years ago with his performed on peat-bogs in the vicinity of the find and clothing and equipment almost intact. The discovery further afield to obtain precise data on the vegetation was not just deservedly a world-wide sensation but a cover and climate in the Neolithic. Pollen analysis was unique opportunity for the scientific community to in performed for a vertical transect extending from the vestigate the life and death of a human from such very timber line almost up to the nival zone. The results of ancient times. It opened up wholly new horizons in the analyses reveal changes to the vegetation patterns prehistoric research, and with the help of a full range caused by pastoral farming long before the time of the of modern research techniques an attempt was made Iceman.

Newest results of the scientific research on the Iceman First complete description of the Iceman's natural environment Radiocarbondating of organic matter around him Insight into prehistoric craftsmenship

Klappentext

Volume 4 of the series "The Man in the Ice" contains the latest scientific results about the Iceman. By means of different methods - e.g. AMS-radiocarbon dating, bryology, dendrology, etc. - the reader gets information about several aspects of the Iceman's lifestyle and his natural environment. His artefacts give insight into prehistoric craftsmenship. Even the potential location of his settlement is reconstructed by several different approaches. The good preservation of the pollen in his food residue allowed to identify the season when the Iceman died. Detailed pollenanalyses of mire deposits in the alpine region of the Ötztal gave insight into the genesis of the alpine grass heath and early pastoral farming of a time long before the Iceman lived. Radiocarbondating of a piece of wood from the Iceman's finding spot demonstrates the early interest of prehistoric people in these highland zones. But also perspectives of future research activities are given.

Zusammenfassung
"... a very valuable contribution ... The book is a very high-quality production, commensurate with the scientific importance of the subject. The quality of the photographs, many in colour, is excellent ..." The Holocene 4/2001, 11/507-510

Inhalt
Radiocarbon dating of equipment from the Iceman.- The Iceman's environment.- The amount of CO2 in the air breathed by the Iceman.- Dendrological analyses of artefacts and other remains.- The bow of thelyrolean Iceman: A dendrological investigation by computed tomography.- Analysis of the bast used by the Iceman as binding material.- Bryology and the Iceman: Chorology, Ecology and Ethnobotany of the Mosses Neckera complanata Hedw. and N. crispa Hedw..- The diet of the Iceman.- Diatoms from the colon of the Iceman..- Parasitological examination of the Iceman.- Vivianite from the Iceman of the Tisenjoch (Tyrol, Austria): Mineralogical-chemical data.- Ethnomycological remarks on the Iceman's fungi.- Contribution to insect remains from the accompanying equipment of the Iceman.- Compilation of DNA sequences from the Iceman's grass clothing.- Epilogue: The search for explanations and future Developments.