So much has happened
to Ötzi since his discovery that many books and films are
out-of-date.
Recent findings have altered most scientists' original
impressions. So be careful when you hunt for information.
The latest
book (2008) to deal with
Ötzi is Bodies
from the Ice. It takes a different
approach and discusses in detail how the Iceman was discovered as well as his
importance to the world. But this book focuses on other discoveries of
human remains as glaciers have begun to melt around the world.
Ötzi
is covered in the first two chapters. Of equal importance is the
discussion of a man's body found in a Canadian glacier. Now called Kwäday
Dan Ts’ìnchí, he provided scientists with a glimpse at life around
the time of European contact in North America.
 The
most comprehensive book
about Ötzi published in English is
intended for children, but has limited availability. The
Glacier Mummy: Discovering the Neolithic Age with the Iceman
by Gudrun Sulzenbacher is only
available from the German
Amazon site and the David
Brown Book Company. You may want to check elsewhere in case
other bookstores decide to carry it. The book is published by Folio
(ISBN 3-85256-199-X) and is perfect for any child studying Ötzi
in school.
Designed like a Dorling Kindersley picture book (that is:
two-page spreads with a short text summary, many photos and captions),
The Glacier Mummy summarizes what
is known about Ötzi in 64 pages and includes many photos taken of his
various autopsies (you get to see his fingernails, his tattoos, his
ear, his teeth, etc.), of his clothing (very well done in both before
and after restoration shots), and of pertinent background information
(his accessories, plants, even his marketing--want to see an Ötzi
pizza? the book includes a photo of one). In all, the book contains
400 photos! The book is guaranteed to keep any school child
researching the Iceman for quite a while; it's just too bad that it
doesn't seem to be widely available.
|
Other
Books: For
Adults and Guided Student Research
|
|
Iceman:
Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an
Alpine Glacier
The best book on the subject for adults. If you are
interested in Ötzi, you won't want to miss this book. Highly recommended.
|
Mummies,
Disease and Ancient Cultures
Gives a four-page summary in a chapter on other bodies found in cold
places.
|
|
Human
Mummies: A Global Survey of their Status and the Techniques of
Conservation
Has a
number of chapters devoted to Ötzi. For the serious mummy researcher
only.
|
Written
in Bones: How Human Remains Unlock the Secrets of the Dead
Presents
a seven-page summary of what was known about the Iceman
|
|
Other Books: For
Children
|
|
Frozen
Man
a good choice for young readers who like more text than illustrations
|
The
Iceman
A
wealth of illustrations for junior Iceman researchers.
|
|
Ice
Mummy
an easy-reading chapter book is a great way to
introduce nonfiction to early readers
|
Secrets
of the Ice Man
The most
up-to-date children's book on the subject ( written just before Ötzi was
moved to the Bolzano museum)
|
|
Periodicals
|
The Iceman
Reconsidered. Scientific American Special Edition, Februrary
2005, pp. 4-13. (25 photos, mostly in color, along with 2 maps, are
included.)
Smithsonian,
February 2003.
Archaeology,
January/February 1999, pp. 68-71.
The New York
Times, December 8, 1998, p. F3. (A photo of the medicine kit
is included with the article.)
|
|
|
