News Archaeology

Ötzi the Iceman’s remains yielded ‘viable’ yeasts in the lab

The colonies of microbes in the mummy may be thousands of years old

A image of Otzi the Iceman's feet

Ötzi’s carefully chilled remains still hold their own microbiome, a finding that could help scientists better protect the mummy from decay.

Marion Lafogler/ Eurac Research/South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology

By Tom Metcalfe

Ötzi the Iceman has long been treated as a frozen messenger from the Copper Age. But his remains might not be completely preserved in time, a new study suggests.