Scientists have discovered what they describe as “signs of life” inside the remains of Ötzi the Iceman, a naturally preserved mummy who lived more than 5,300 years ago.
Ötzi was found frozen in the Ötztal Alps near the Austria–Italy border in 1991. Dating back to around 3300 BC, he is older than the Egyptian pyramids and remains one of the most studied archaeological discoveries in history.
While examining the mummy at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Italy, researchers identified cold-adapted yeasts and traces of ancient bacteria preserved within his gut microbiome.
Some of these microorganisms may have originated during Ötzi’s lifetime, offering an extraordinary glimpse into the biology of a person who lived thousands of years ago.
The findings suggest that Ötzi is more than a remarkably preserved body—he is a biological time capsule containing microscopic evidence of ancient diets, environments, and health conditions.
Researchers noted that several of the microbes differ from those commonly found in modern human intestines, providing valuable insights into how human microbiomes may have changed over millennia.
The discovery comes shortly after scientists successfully used yeast recovered from Ötzi to bake sourdough bread, highlighting how traces of ancient biological material can survive for thousands of years under the right conditions.
More than three decades after his discovery, Ötzi continues to reveal new secrets about life in prehistoric Europe, giving researchers an unprecedented window into a world that existed long before recorded history.