[Science Report]:Icemans Death


This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Science Report.

Scientists have announced the cause of death for a man who diedfive-thousand-three-hundred years ago. The scientists say the manwas killed by an arrow that tore through his back. They say thediscovery of the arrow in the victim's body settles questions of howhe died.

Two German climbers discovered the body in northern Italy tenyears ago. The climbers were high in the Alps Mountains, more thanthree-thousand meters above sea level. Suddenly, they saw the bodyof a man in a piece of ice. He wore leather clothing and carriedfood, tools and weapons. Newspapers called him the Iceman.

The ice had protected the body for thousands of years. It was theoldest and best preserved ancient body ever found. The Iceman was insuch good condition that scientists could discover many things abouthim. They discovered where he came from, how he lived and what heate for his last meal before he died.

When the Iceman was discovered, some scientists suggested that hehad fallen asleep and died in the snow or was killed in a fall. Abow and arrows were found with the Iceman. This led some people tobelieve that he died while hunting animals.

Later, his remains and other objects were transported to Bolzano,Italy, near the border with Austria. They are now kept at the SouthTyrol Museum of Archeology in Bolzano. The body is kept cool in aspecial observation area at the museum.

In the new study, scientists used special x-ray equipment toproduce several different images of the Iceman's upper chest. Thisprocess is called computerized tomography. Scientists had examinedthe body several times in the past. But this was the first time theyproduced x-ray images of the chest area from more than one position.

The scientists discovered the arrowhead under the Iceman's leftshoulder. The object was less than two-and-one-half centimeterslong. The scientists say the arrow tore through the nerves and bloodvessels of his left arm. It stopped near his lungs.

The museum's director Alex Susanna said the discovery changesmany theories about the Iceman. He said scientists must now carryout new research. An international conference on the Iceman will beheld in Bolzano in September.

This VOA Special English Science Report was written by GeorgeGrow.

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