Otzi my friend, we meet at last
14.01.2010
3 °C
Yesterday was officially amazing.
I went to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology here in Bolzano, which catalogues the history of people in the local area from the Mesolithic (about 15000 years ago) until the reformations and introduction of Christianity from 600-900CE (or AD to non-history-type-people). The exhibits were all really good, and included a piece of local Roman road, complete with cart tracks worn into the stone and a mile marker.
But, of course, what I (and most others there) was there for was the second floor - the Copper Age. Which had a tiiiiiiiiiny sign detailing what the Copper Age was and what it meant for the area, and then a HUUUUUGE sign that read "Otzi: the man in the ice" in about 10 languages. No surprises then that nearly the whole floor was devoted to the world's oldest humid mummy, with only a small corner dedicated to other local finds.
It was a fantastic experience finally seeing all the artefacts that I spent so long studying in depth last semester, and standing less than a metre away from the body that I know so much about. To think that a little over three years ago I was sitting in Ancient History watching a video about this guy, thinking how cool it would be to study something like that, and here I am, in the town where some of the people who recovered him live, having studied him and now also having seen him in the flesh. Note to all struggling in life - your wildest dreams really can come true. Not all of them, but sometimes life is on your side and provides the most amazing of experiences.
Anyway, I'm off to see what else this fascinating alpine town has to offer a tourist such as myself.
Ciao a tutti!
Svenii
