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A Modern survey of the well - known " Iceman " mummy finds that he eat moss , though perhaps not on purpose .
In fact , his gut remains contained six different moss , a new psychoanalysis shows . The unappetizing plant cast light on the Neolithic man ’s lifestyle and travel during the last few day of his life .
Genetic material from the Iceman mummy suggests this Neolithic man has no modern-day relatives on his mom’s side of the family.
The corpse of theIceman(also called Ötzi , Frozen Fritz and Similaun Man ) were discovered accidentally in 1991 by German holidaymaker in the Eastern Alps . Since then , a suite of test has open a windowpane into the guy ’s life and death .
For representative , the Iceman was about 45 years old when he decease some 5,200 year ago ; he was probably ahunter - accumulator while alive ; he nurture a articulatio humeri hurt from an pointer and might have died from head trauma ; and his last meal included unraised bread and heart and soul .
ostensibly , he also eat up and booze some moss . James Dickson of the University of Glasgow and his colleagues say the moss finding is surprising , because these plant are neither tasty nor alimentary . The mosses were belike accidentally assimilate .
In particular , Dickson and his colleagues suggest that one case of moss could have been used to wrap solid food ; another was in all likelihood swallowed when the Iceman drank H2O during the last few days of his life ; and yet another would have been used as a wound dressing .
The intellectual nourishment - wrapping moss is calledNeckera complanata . And the Iceman credibly accidentally ingested a moss calledHymenostylium recurvirostrumalong with some drinking piddle before he die out .
And he could have applied the bogmossSphagnum imbricatumas a wound bandaging . That particular bogmoss does not grow , at least today , within about 30 miles ( 50 km ) of the site where Ötzi was found , the researchers say , suggesting the Iceman must have been a traveler .
" The good explanation I can consider of is when he was wounded he was in the vicinity of where that particular bogmoss was growing , " Dickson toldLiveScience .
Researchers in the yesteryear have ground two wound on the Iceman , one in the back from an pointer and the other a deep cut in his correct laurel wreath .
" If he have it off of the useful properties of bogmosses , as seems entirely plausible , then he may have gain some to halt the combat injury or wounds , " the researchers compose in the December issue of the journalVegetation History and Archaeobotany , " and so tiny pieces could well have stuck to the origin dry on his fingers and then he circumstantially ingested some of them when next use up meat or lettuce as we make out he did during his last few day . "
