Who is Ötzi?
Ötzi the iceman is a preserved body found in the Alps near the Italian-Austrian border. The green dot on the map to the left marks the location he was found. Isotopic analysis of Ötzi's body allowed scientists to study where he might have lived his life. To the right you will encounter a series of maps of the area where Ötzi was found. You will be able to compare experimental evidence from sites on these maps to isotope data in Ötzi's bones, and come to a conclusion about where Ötzi may have lived as an adult.

How to Get Started:
First, click on the Stable Isotopes tab and engage the data you find there. The radiogenic isotopes and results tabs will unlock as you work through the rest of the resource. The results tab will summarize the data points you choose to keep from all the different isotopes. From this you will be able to see where the majority of the data matches are concentrated.

Remember that you may not necessarily find a single data point as the definitive match for any of the isotopic data, but you will be able to draw some conclusions about Ötzi's life, and experience the forensic process that the scientists used to answer questions about his life on the basis of what they knew about isotopes.

This resource was intended for use with the Isotopes Matter resources, there you will find more information about isotopes and the story of Otzi.