Saturday DNA! Virtual Museum Tour: Ötzi the Iceman

Activity description:

In the fall of 1991, two hikers in the Ötztal Alps discovered the mummified remains of a 5,300-year-old man. Now preserved in a climate-controlled freezer at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Italy, the mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman and his possessions provide a window into life in prehistoric Europe. Join us at the DNA Learning Center to view the world’s first replica of Ötzi the Iceman and to see what Ötzi’s body, DNA, and belongings tell us about Neolithic people.

In this 1-hour session, you will:

• observe the life-size replica of Ötzi the Iceman and learn how the replica was produced;
• explore what Ötzi’s DNA reveals about his traits, health, and relationship to modern people; and
• view replicas of the artifacts found near Ötzi’s body and learn what they tell us about prehistoric life.