Nov 30, 2009: Ötzi

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by DanaC

What amazed me was the fact that he carried a pack of tools and stuff with him, including stuff to repair his kit and clothes.

The picture that emerges from my analysis of Ötzi's possessions is of a mature, highly skilled hunter – certainly not a shepherd. The tools in his kit were multipurpose, skilfully made and well maintained. Together they provided, with minimal weight, all the necessary tools for hunting, butchering and bringing back meat, skins, antlers or horn on his lightweight pack frame. His copper axe and bearskin hat were both utilitarian and displays of prestige. Copper implements were not common at that time, and in nearly all northern hunting societies the killing of bears, which provide furs, meat and fat, was a visible measure of hunting prowess.

Think Clint Eastwood.