The mystery of Ötzi, the ‘Iceman’ still has life in him 5,300 years after his death

Discovered in 1991 in a glacier between Italy and Austria, Ötzi has become a unique scientific case thanks to his extraordinary state of preservation. For thousands of years, he remained frozen under conditions of extreme cold, low humidity, and limited oxygen, all of which dramatically slowed the decomposition process. However, these conditions did not completely halt biological activity.

A recent study reveals that his body is not an inert relic but rather a biological system in which microbial activity still persists, a finding that reshapes our understanding of decomposition and long-term preservation. Europe’s oldest natural mummy continues to yield remarkable scientific discoveries.

Ötzi, the “Iceman” still has life in him 5,300 years after his death

The new analysis, led by Eurac Research and published in the scientific journal Microbiome, reconstructed the microbial community present within Ötzi’s body. Researchers identified bacteria, fungi, and yeasts both internally and on the surface of the mummy. The key finding is that these microorganisms are not all the same. The study distinguishes three major groups:

• Original microbes that inhabited his body during life, particularly in the intestines.
• Microorganisms that colonized the corpse while it remained in the glacier.
• Modern microbes introduced after its discovery and subsequent laboratory preservation.

This combination makes Ötzi a “dynamic ecosystem” rather than a frozen time capsule.

One of the study’s central questions is how microbial activity can persist for thousands of years under such extreme conditions. According to the researchers, the answer lies in what they describe as an extremely slowed metabolic state. Rather than becoming completely inactive, some microorganisms have survived in a kind of biological slow motion, maintaining minimal but continuous activity.

Particularly striking is the presence of cold-adapted yeasts capable of surviving and even growing at subfreezing temperatures. Some of these species have been successfully cultivated in the laboratory, confirming that they remain viable today.

The study also carries much broader implications. Scientists found intestinal bacteria in Ötzi that have virtually disappeared from modern societies. These microbial communities are associated with preindustrial diets and lifestyles that differ dramatically from those of today.

As a result, the mummy provides an exceptional window into the history of the human microbiome, allowing researchers to compare gut microbes from 5,000 years ago with those of the present day, which have been profoundly altered by industrialization, antibiotics, and modern diets.

Ötzi’s microbes present risks and potential

The discovery is significant not only for archaeology and evolutionary biology but also for conservation science. Some of the identified microorganisms could affect the mummy’s condition over the long term, particularly if they become active under certain environmental conditions.

Furthermore, the survival of some microbes for millennia opens the door to potential applications in biotechnology. The extremophile yeasts detected in Ötzi could have industrial uses ranging from fermentation to processes that operate under extreme conditions.

In the researchers’ words, Ötzi is not a “frozen fossil” but a living interface where microorganisms from the Copper Age coexist with those of the modern world. Five millennia after his death, Ötzi continues to tell stories. We now know that he does so not only through his bones and artifacts, but also through the invisible life that still resides within him.

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