Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #261443 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-07
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1991 a dead man was found in a glacier on the Italian side of the Tyrolean Alps. How could he have known, as he settled down for a very long winter's nap, that his discovery would unleash a circus of political, scientific and journalistic shenanigans that would make and break careers and cause international tension? Science writer Brenda Fowler takes a peek at the bizarre odyssey of this incredibly well-preserved frozen corpse in Iceman, covering every step of his transition from Stone Age accident victim to celebrity specimen to museum piece. The cast of characters involved is large and colourful, including archaeologists, small-time politicians, curators, writers and even channellers claiming to speak for "Ötzi", as he came to be known. Initially taken to Austria and studied there, years of political and scientific wrangling brought him back closer to where he was found in northern Italy--though evidence suggests he may have originally come from modern-day Switzerland. Beyond the battles between nationalistic and egotistical players, Iceman contains an absorbing examination of the scientific process at work: hypotheses announced and discarded, the accretion of new evidence, and the ever-narrowing range of explanations for the find. The story is far from over, as research continues even as the question of Ötzi's resting place is settled (temporarily?). With luck, we may soon learn as much about our recent ancestors as we recently learned about ourselves. --Rob Lightner

Synopsis
The spectacular discovery of a Stone Age man in the Alps. Who was he? What was he doing there? How did he die? 'The scientist does not like to take words like "great moment" or other superlatives in his mouth, but in this case, even the dry scientist gets a little excited.' With these words, scientists in 1991 announced the unprecedented discovery of a well-preserved Stone Age man in an alpine glacier - a man who, incredibly, had been buried in ice for 5,000 years. This is the story of what happened when the most stunning archaeological find of the century dropped into the laps of a few Austrian scientists one September aftermoon. Iceman takes us inside scientific investigations by the anthropologists, botanists, and archaeologists who saw in this lonely frozen figure the clues to longstanding questions about the world of 3,000 BC. It also dramatically chronicles their debates and ego trips and the unexpected twists in their research, including the claim that the Iceman was a fraud and the mystery of his missing penis.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Informative Book
'Iceman' by Brenda Fowler is an excellent informative book. It starts from the very beginning, the discovery of the mysterious corpse in the ice by two tourists hiking on the mountain, and goes through each stage of the discovery, the recovery and the conservation attempts to stop the corpse from thawing. You are introduced to many well respected lecturers and professors who help with the dating and study of the 'Iceman'. It details all the artefacts that were found with him and the debate over how old he actually was. There are excellent black and white photographs included of the 'Iceman', the artefacts, the salvage attempt, and all the people who helped with the study of this fantastic find.
It reads like a story book, it is not in textbook form, and there are regular footnotes to help you understand. It goes through absolutely everything in such detail, its as though you were there hearing it for yourself at the time of the discovery!
This book is perfect for anyone interested or involved in archaeology, anthropology, or the prehistoric era and the evolution of man
The New York Times calls it 'Elegant and Informative'. I have to say I definitely agree!