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I think in the PBS documentary or something like it on youtube, they found a pretty big cerebral bruise on Otzi. It's possible someone hit him with a rock to f

I think in the PBS documentary or something like it on youtube, they found a pretty big cerebral bruise on Otzi. It's possible someone hit him with a rock to finish him off, or he hit his head on a rock when he was reacting to being wounded. It seems that he was used to covering long distances and routinely got into fights. Otzi is probably similar to a cave raider from Oblivion :)

fapjacks 10y ago
I disagree with him being a kind of raider, only because what does everyone do in Oblivion when they murder one of those cave raiders? Loot his corpse of anything valuable. Nobody looted Ötzi's corpse. I found the argument in the article of some kind of domestic incident compelling, especially in light of his valuables not being taken. And I think the "human sacrifice" argument seems like a real stretch.
- INTPenis 10y ago
  Exactly, the lack of looting is the biggest detail in this case imo. To me it speaks of a panicked crime. Combined with the season, spring or summer, I don't believe the crime was panicked due to bad weather conditions. Maybe it was a very young person taking a revenge shot at him because of something Ötzi had done in the near past.
  - fapjacks 10y ago
    I think so too, INTPenis. With respect to your "young person taking revenge", I would think that a young(er) person would loot the belongings, and that an old(er) person would have the social/intellectual wherewithal not to come back to town carrying the chief's cousin's copper axe. I realize I'm speculating wildly here, though I completely agree that Ötzi not having been looted is the biggest detail.
- salesguy222 10y ago
  I appreciate your perspective, and that of the commenter below as well! I still think it is possible for Otzi to be a bandit/raider. He did not have a body for agricultural work, and he had clothes designed for surviving harsh (non-domestic climates). My hypothesis is that he probably pissed off a few too many people and his reputation began spreading from town to town possibly. He probably stole food and goods at night and then walked away with his haul to use or sell elsewhere. Eventually, people figured out that they had a bit of a human vulture up in the mountains. When he came down to the village to get some goods and provisions, he was confronted by attackers, wounded, and escaped. He fled high up into the mountains, stopping to eat and rest from his encounter. Someone from the village, followed him, sniped him, and did not loot Otzi. Why? I hypothesize probably because the person viewed Otzi as a nuissance, and viewed himself as more honorable than Otzi. It honestly sounds like some kind of vigilante justice situation, or even a proto police force. Police aren't supposed to loot their kills (but these days they do, and auction off the items ;] )
  - fapjacks 10y ago
    Interesting. I grok what you're saying now and it does make sense. And though I do agree that people do exist who put honor before everything else, we know that kings were buried with the kinds of items that Ötzi had, especially the copper axe. It would have to be some kind of Klingon to put honor before looting that. I totally grok your perspective, though, and I don't think it's unreasonable.

fapjacks 10y ago

I disagree with him being a kind of raider, only because what does everyone do in Oblivion when they murder one of those cave raiders? Loot his corpse of anything valuable. Nobody looted Ötzi's corpse. I found the argument in the article of some kind of domestic incident compelling, especially in light of his valuables not being taken. And I think the "human sacrifice" argument seems like a real stretch.

INTPenis 10y ago
Exactly, the lack of looting is the biggest detail in this case imo. To me it speaks of a panicked crime. Combined with the season, spring or summer, I don't believe the crime was panicked due to bad weather conditions. Maybe it was a very young person taking a revenge shot at him because of something Ötzi had done in the near past.
- fapjacks 10y ago
  I think so too, INTPenis. With respect to your "young person taking revenge", I would think that a young(er) person would loot the belongings, and that an old(er) person would have the social/intellectual wherewithal not to come back to town carrying the chief's cousin's copper axe. I realize I'm speculating wildly here, though I completely agree that Ötzi not having been looted is the biggest detail.
salesguy222 10y ago
I appreciate your perspective, and that of the commenter below as well! I still think it is possible for Otzi to be a bandit/raider. He did not have a body for agricultural work, and he had clothes designed for surviving harsh (non-domestic climates). My hypothesis is that he probably pissed off a few too many people and his reputation began spreading from town to town possibly. He probably stole food and goods at night and then walked away with his haul to use or sell elsewhere. Eventually, people figured out that they had a bit of a human vulture up in the mountains. When he came down to the village to get some goods and provisions, he was confronted by attackers, wounded, and escaped. He fled high up into the mountains, stopping to eat and rest from his encounter. Someone from the village, followed him, sniped him, and did not loot Otzi. Why? I hypothesize probably because the person viewed Otzi as a nuissance, and viewed himself as more honorable than Otzi. It honestly sounds like some kind of vigilante justice situation, or even a proto police force. Police aren't supposed to loot their kills (but these days they do, and auction off the items ;] )
- fapjacks 10y ago
  Interesting. I grok what you're saying now and it does make sense. And though I do agree that people do exist who put honor before everything else, we know that kings were buried with the kinds of items that Ötzi had, especially the copper axe. It would have to be some kind of Klingon to put honor before looting that. I totally grok your perspective, though, and I don't think it's unreasonable.