Secular archaeologists are trying to make sense of this
man’s life based on the assumption that he predated
civilization and advanced technology. But those who
believe the Bible’s account of history see him differently.
He gives us clues about the lives of people who spread
from Babel. They carried with them a sophisticated
culture from pre-Flood times, where their forebears
were building cities, ships, musical instruments,
and metal artifices (Genesis 4:17–22,
6:14–16).
illustration by BEN IOCCO
Ötzi lived not long
after Babel.
Comfort from Head to Toe
Ötzi, as the iceman has been
affectionately called, was found in the
Ötzal Alps. He was covered from head
to foot in well-crafted gear to survive—quite comfortably—in this forbidding
region. Just last year, investigators
identified the animals used in the four
layers of his waterproof shoes (bearskin
soles, deer hide uppers, cow leather
shoelaces, and tree bark “socks”).
He wore a coat made of hide from
different animals stitched together. He
also had a belt, leggings, and loincloth,
each sewn together with animal fibers.
On his head he sported a bearskin cap
with a leather chin strap.
First-Aid Kit
Ötzi traveled prepared for medical
emergencies. In his possession were a
dozen different plants known to help heal
wounds, cure disease, and fight parasites.
But health begins with a good diet.
Investigators looking at Ötzi’s intestines
realized he wasn’t just surviving on
berries and seeds. He enjoyed a varied
diet of wild goat, red deer, and processed
wheat bran (likely bread).
To Build a Fire
He had his own portable fire kit to
warm himself and cook food. The kit
included a flint flake, pyrite to make
sparks, and a flammable type of tree
fungus known as tinder fungus.
He also carried two birch-bark
baskets that contained embers
wrapped in leaves—his equivalent
of a box of matches.
A Lethal Lifestyle
Ötzi didn’t travel alone. He had a
copper axe lashed to a shaped yew
handle. The axe head is 99.7% pure
copper, which was cast, cold forged,
polished, and sharpened. He also
had a flint knife on an ash handle.
He carried a bow and arrows, too.
(His quiver had two finished arrows
with fins and flint tips, along with
twelve shafts and spare string.)
Further study showed an arrow
lodged in his shoulder. It had struck an
artery, causing him to bleed to death
in minutes. Murder? Some things
about human nature never change.
Placing Ötzi in Biblical History
Indoctrinated with human evolution, people today assume that
our “ancient” ancestors, who roamed the earth before cities and
civilizations, were primitive. But the discovery of this mountain
traveler, who lived during that mysterious era between the Tower
of Babel and Abraham’s life at Ur, puts that notion to rest.
