Ötzi the Iceman’s Microbes Still Show Signs of Life After 5,300 Years

Health Ötzi the Iceman’s Microbes Still Show Signs of Life After 5,300 Years New research provides a deep dive into the ancient and modern day microbes that call Ötzi home. 2, 2026, pm ET Reading time 3 minutes Otzi The Iceman. © South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology/Eurac Research/Marion Lafogler Read Later Read Later Comments (1) A relic of humanity’s past isn’t so dormant after all. Research out today shows the remains of Ötzi “the Iceman” are teeming with living microorganisms. Scientists in Italy conducted an extensive survey of Ötzi, a mummy naturally frozen in a mountain glacier for over 5,000 years. They found ample bacteria and fungi inside and on Ötzi’s body, some of which might have survived for millennia and appear to be active even today under tightly maintained storage conditions. The findings not only illustrate the resilience of microbial life but also suggest we need to be more careful about how these sorts of specimens are preserved once discovered. “Our comprehensive assessment reveals that the Iceman is not a biologically ‘frozen’ time-capsule but rather a complex ecosystem,” the authors wrote in their paper, published Tuesday in the journal Microbiome. Ötzi the ecosystem In 1991, Ötzi was discovered in the Ötztal Alps that straddle the current borders between Italy and Austria. He’s the oldest known glacial mummy ever found and is believed to have died at the age of 45 some 5,300 years ago. Since his discovery, scientists have learned much about Ötzi’s life and the Copper Age society he was a part of. That includes his last meal and the likely possibility that he was killed via an arrow to his back. The tools he was found with were also sourced from different, sometimes very distant regions, suggesting the existence of a lengthy trade route along that part of Europe. Genetic Analysis of ‘Ötzi the Iceman’ Reveals Ancient Mummy’s Ancestry That said, there’s been less attention paid to Ötzi’s microbiome, according to study author Frank Maixner, head of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research. Maixner and his team weren’t just interested in identifying the microorganisms preserved inside his body but also those on the surface, which could include microbes inadvertently introduced to Ötzi after he was unearthed. Study researcher Mohamed Sarhan examining colonies of yeast taken from a sample of Ötzi’s stomach. © Eurac Research/Andrea De Giovanni They collected samples from Ötzi and his storage environment at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Italy for genetic analysis.