Why are ice mummies so rare?

Ötzi, as he was found in the ice in the Hauslabjoch pass in 1991.

Why are ice mummies so rare?

People did not realize initially that Ötzi was a very old ice mummy. Back in 1991, people had no idea that ice could preserve human bodies for such a long time. This lack of understanding led to unfortunate damage to the mummy and the artefacts during the recovery. To avoid such calamities, we have prepared a mummy-kit and a contingency plan if an ice mummy should appear in our own mountains here in Norway. However, the chances of finding an ice mummy are low and our mummy-kit is still unused.

The absence of ice mummies is not for the lack of people dying in the high mountains. Obviously, people died in the high mountains in the past – in blizzards, accidents, due to violence, or for purely natural reasons (more here). So why are there not more finds like Ötzi?

The answer is that it would take a number of preconditions for their bodies to preserve until today. First, the body would have to be lost, so that relatives could not recover it for proper burial. Secondly, the death would have to take place on non-moving ice (ice patches), allowing the ice to preserve the body without crushing it. Thirdly, the body would have to stay on the surface for an initial freeze-drying before being encapsulated in the ice, without scavengers destroying it in the meantime. As you can see, the chances of making it as an ice mummy are really slim.

A soldier from the “White war” in South Tyrol during World War One. Photo: Trento Office for Archaeological Finds.

Mummies from the White War

The initial freeze-dyring on the surface preserved Ötzi for posterity. Without this natural mummification process, the decomposition of his body would have continued even inside the ice. This is demonstrated by the decomposed bodies of WWI soldiers found in the ice of the high alpine battlefields of the White War in Süd-Tyrol (check the stories in National Geographic and Motherboard, based on an article in the Telegraph Magazine by Laura Spinney).

The closest to an ice mummy we got so far here in Innlandet County, Norway, was the find of a Viking sword at high altitude in the Reinheimen Mountains in 2017. A likely explanation of this find is that the owner died of exposure after losing his way in a blizzard. If he had made it to the ice patch a bit further east, we could have had a Viking ice mummy. The thought of that makes my head spin (read the story here).

Comments

Jong Sang Thaek’s brutal execution: Stripped naked and eaten alive by Dogs

Jong Sang Thaek’s brutal execution: Stripped naked and eaten alive by Dogs North Korea, Jan 03: Unlike previous executions of political prisoners, the execution of Jang Song Thaek on December 12 was reportedly one of the most brutal ones ever conducted by the North Korean regime. According to a detailed account published in Wen Wei Po, a Hong Kong based Chinese newspaper, Jang Song Thaek, Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-Un’s uncle and the second most powerful man in North Korea, was stripped naked and thrown into a cage of 120 hounds who had been starved for three days. During the brutal execution, which was reportedly personally overseen by Kim Jong Un, the hounds were allowed to prey on Jang Song Thaek and five of his closest aides who also had been stripped and thrown into the cage. According to the report, the entire process lasted for about an hour by the end of which they were completely eaten up. This is called "quan je" or "execution by dogs". Political ...

WOMAN FORCED TO RUN N@KED THROUGH THE STREETS AFTER BEING CAUGHT HAVING S3X BY HER LOVER’S WIFE

WOMAN FORCED TO RUN N@KED THROUGH THE STREETS AFTER BEING CAUGHT HAVING S3X BY HER LOVER’S WIFE The Sun reported that passers-by took pictures of a woman as she desperately tried to cover her modesty. A WOMAN was forced to flee naked from her married lover’s bed after allegedly being busted naked by his WIFE. The extreme walk of shame was fully captured on camera by shocked passers-by in a packed city centre. According to a clip seen online, the redhead desperately tries to cover her modesty as she walks the streets stark naked and struggling to cover up as she walks alongside fully clothed pedestrians and crosses the road in front of a tram. Pictires have since gone viral. One eye-witness said he believed that the woman’s walk of shame was a forfeit for losing a horny bet which was ready after along dry spell. And netizen ‘Kkt’ said: “Maybe she just really wanted to have sex and simply went out on the hunt like that being completely desperate. If she was running away from her lo...

I WEPT AFTER READING THIS JUDGE'S SENTENCE ON A 15 YEAR OLD BOY...

I WEPT AFTER READING THIS JUDGE'S SENTENCE ON A 15 YEAR OLD BOY... This was a fifteen year old boy.... He was caught stealing bread from a store. On trying to escape from the hold of the guard, a shelf of the store was also broken. The judge heard the crime and asked the boy, “Did you really steal something, a loaf of bread and cheese?” The boy responded by looking down.;- “Yes.” Judge: - “Why?” Boy: - “I needed it.” Judge: - “Couldn't you have bought?” Boy: - “There was no money.” Judge: - “Take it from the family.” Boy: - “There is only a mother in the house. Sick and unemployed. Judge: - “You don't do anything?” Boy: - “Used to wash a car. When I took a day off to take care of my mother, I was fired.” Judge: - “Don’t you ask someone for help?” Boy: - “Had left the house since morning, went to about fifty (50) people, but no help; so, I decided to take this step at the very end.” When the arguments ended, the judge began to pronounce the verdict; “The theft and especially...

After Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Tragedy and Humiliation.

After Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Tragedy and Humiliation. U.S. and Australian brutalisation of women on the Japanese mainland. (Excerpt From Pages 66-69) All references are provided in the book itself. “There was a far darker side to the U.S. and allied occupation of Japan, one which is little mentioned in the vast majority of histories – American or otherwise. When Japan surrendered in August 1945, mass rapes by occupying forces were expected… [despite setting up of a comfort women which recruited or otherwise trafficked desperate women to brothels] such crimes were still common and several of them were extremely brutal and resulted in the deaths of the victims. Political science professor Eiji Takemae wrote regard- ing the conduct of American soldiers occupying Japan: ‘U.S. troops comported themselves like conquerors, especially in the early weeks and months of occupation. Misbehavior ranged from black-marketeering, petty theft, reckless driving and disorderly con...

King Edward VII Love Chair

King Edward VII (nicknamed Bertie), had a custom made ‘siege d’amour’ (or love chair), kept at the famous Le Chabanais brothel in Paris. It was built to allow him to have sex with two or more people all at the same time. The chair was the ultimate symbol of Bertie’s voracious sexual appetite, which became a constant headache for the royal family, especially his mother, who believed him utterly untrustworthy and severely limited his Royal responsibilities as a result. However, the more Queen Victoria disapproved, the more extravagant Bertie became in his pursuits of pleasure, the chair being the ultimate testament to his rebellious and irresponsible behaviour. The press gave him the name ‘Dirty Bertie’. It was said that his father had a word with him about his dalliances and then died shortly after their chat. Queen Victoria blamed his death on the stress brought about by “that dreadful business”, or at least a big contributing factor of it. She then arranged his marri...

True Story Of Josephine Myrtle Corbin, The Lady Born With Four Legs & Two Private Parts

True Story Of Josephine Myrtle Corbin, The Lady Born With Four Legs & Two Private Parts Residents were curious of Josephine's rare look, so the father decided to make money from it by charging them a token to look at his four-legged daughter. When she was thirteen, Josephine travelled to different towns in the company of his father for sideshow performance which earned them a lot of money. While at a glance one could see four legs dangling beyond the hem of her dress only one pair actually belonged to her. The other set belonged to her DIPYGUS twin sister. Born in Lincoln County, TN in 1868 and spending most of her childhood in Blount Council, AL - where she can be found in the 1880 census, her condition was incredibly rare. The tiny body of her twin was only fully developed from the waist down and even then it was malformed - tiny and possessing only three toes but she was able to control the limbs of her sister but was unable to use them to for walking and she herself had di...

ON THIS DAY, AUGUST 31, 2016, A SUGGESTIVE PICTURE OF A BRIDE HAVING A LAST S*XUAL

ON THIS DAY, AUGUST 31, 2016, A SUGGESTIVE PICTURE OF A BRIDE HAVING A LAST S*XUAL On this day, August 31, 2016, a suggestive picture of a bride having a last s*xual encounter with her ex-boyfriend a short distance away from her wedding venue was emerged. A Facebook user, Bukola Atupa Ajeigbe shared an odd photo of an unnamed bride preparing to be bonked from behind in doggy fashion by an ex boyfriend shockingly on the day of her wedding with her full outfit on. After-thoughts also have it that the picture could have been taken from a movie scene although the faces of the characters or persons are not known on the television screens...

The Battle and Ra.pe of Manila

The Battle and Ra.pe of Manila While the Rape of Nanking in China is slowly making its way into mainstream media and educational systems, the Manila massacre is still struggling to get recognition regardless of the inexplicable inhumanity involved, matching even that of Nanking. An American soldier in Manila rescuing a wounded Filipino girl Time: February 1945 Sources: MacArthur Archives The Japanese occupation of the Philippines' capital started after five months of fierce fighting against US forces during the early days of the Pacific War. Manila was declared an "open city" (undefended and exempt from enemy aggression) on December 26, 1941, by American General Douglas MacArthur, who vowed to return one day. His chance finally came on January 9, 1945, when MacArthur's 6th Army came ashore upon the beaches of Lingayen Bay to liberate the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur coming ashore from an LCVP on Lingayen Gulf Blue 1 landing beach, Luzon, Philippines, 9 Jan...

WARNING! Graphic Content Below Are Frank Discussion Of Rape, Execution. Not Meant For The Weak.

WARNING! Graphic Content Below Are Frank Discussion Of Rape, Execution. Not Meant For The Weak. 'Blood oozed through the soil at grave sites. You could see the pits move, some of them were still alive': The secrets of Ukraine's shameful 'Holocaust of Bullets' killing centre where 1.6million Jews were executed . Seventy years on from the end of the Second World War the full, shocking scale of the Nazi-inspired Holocaust in Ukraine is finally being revealed - thanks to pioneering work by a French Catholic priest to research the truth of the industrial-scale killing. Around 2,000 mass graves of Jewish victims have been located where men, women and children were shot and buried by the Germans and their collaborators. But there maybe up to 6,000 more sites to uncover, with victims of this 'Holocaust of bullets' - so called because unlike in Poland and Germany where gas chambers were used as the means of slaughter - here most were summarily shot and buried nearby....

The Nanking Massacre is a devastating example of the suffering that can be inflicted on a defeated or weak country during times of war.

The Nanking Massacre is a devastating example of the suffering that can be inflicted on a defeated or weak country during times of war. It serves as a reminder of the importance of working to prevent conflicts and protect civilians in times of conflict. It is also a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit, as many survivors of the massacre were able to rebuild their lives and move forward despite the unimaginable horrors they had experienced. The Nanking Massacre, also known as the Nanjing Massacre, was a horrific event that took place in the Chinese city of Nanjing in December 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After the Japanese Imperial Army invaded and captured the city, they carried out a campaign of mass murder, rape, and destruction that lasted for several weeks. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were killed during this time. The Nanking Massacre is a tragic example of the suffering that can be inflicted o...

THE WORLD FAMOUS HISTORY AND PAST EVENTS

Search This Blog