Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier [Paperback]

Brenda Fowler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226258238 | ISBN-13: 978-0226258232 | Publication Date: September 16, 2001 | Edition: 1

On September 19, 1991 a couple hiking along an Alpine ridge stumbled upon a frozen, intact corpse melting out of a glacier. He was dubbed "the Iceman," and his discovery—along with the realization that he was actually 5,000 years old—set off a whirlwind of political, scientific, and media activity that made him an overnight sensation. In this remarkable and dramatic book, Brenda Fowler takes readers through the bizarre odyssey that began in the Stone Age and continued for years after the Iceman was unearthed.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com 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 colorful, including archaeologists, smalltime politicians, curators, writers, and even channelers claiming to speak for Ötzi, as he came to be known. Initially taken to Austria and studied there, he was brought back closer to where he was found in northern Italy after years of political and scientific wrangling, 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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

In September 1991, hikers in the Alps discovered a well-preserved frozen corpse; nearby lay a stone ax and swatches of leather and fur. The man turned out to have died in the early Bronze Age, making him an incalculable treasure for students of early human beings. Fowler, who has covered Central Europe for the New York Times, offers a brisk and easy-to-follow narrative, first of the great discovery, then of the personal and political struggles for control of the frozen body, which researchers eventually nicknamed ?tzi. Her tight and compelling account emphasizes the late-20th century people who acted, investigated and argued the science and law surrounding the man from the past. Fowler's journalistic experience serves her well as she introduces each of the characters: local archeologist Konrad Spindler, who first pronounced the corpse 4,000 years old; Reinhold Messner, "the best [mountain] climber who had ever lived"; museum curator Markus Egg; botanist Sigmar Bortenschlager ("a feisty strawberry blond"); and a few dozen others. Each gossipy controversy begot others; each scientific answer led to new questions. Should ?tzi be used to help the local economy, displaying him for tourists? Yes, said the government; no, cried the local priest. The scientists were split on the issue. Was ?tzi missing his genitalia? No (though they had "dried up like a leaf"); so how did the story that he had been castrated come to be circulated so widely? Archeological and present-day whodunits proceed in alternating steps throughout Fowler's attentive narrative; readers with any interest in early humans, in the politics of scientific discovery or in this region of Europe will want to dig in. 16 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press; 1 edition (September 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226258238
• ISBN-13: 978-0226258232
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man, January 19, 2001

By 

Jacques Talbot (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier (Hardcover)

Since Konrad Spindler's book "The Man in the Ice" (1996) has been shown to be more flight of fancy than fact-based reconstruction, those interested in this subject have been awaiting the scientific revelations the Iceman's well-preserved corpse undoubtedly embodies (pun intended). Although I found Fowler's journalistic narrative both well-written and interesting for its behind-the-scenes peek into the events following the sensational discovery of this 5,300-year-old mummy, I found the subtitle misleading, and the book, ultimately, disappointing.

Though not an archaeologist by profession, I am deeply interested in the subject and count myself among thousands of well-educated laypeople eager to share in the discoveries of our more formally qualified brethren. Both the promise of the book's subtitle ("Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man...") and its recent publication date had me thinking that Fowler would be presenting the very latest findings and drawing on these to create a vibrant portrait of daily life in Alpine Europe during the Copper Age.

Alas, Fowler is first and foremost a journalist, not a prehistorian. This is evident throughout her work, as she insistently focuses on the political maneuvering and interpersonal politics between the various scientists and institutions involved in research on the Iceman, almost to the point of ignoring what we have learned about him and the world in which he lived. The paucity of illustrations is another strike against the book. What few there are, are blurry b/w photos and a handful of line drawings. Any reader hungry for insight into what this man's life might have been like is sure to come away unsatisfied.

Still, what Fowler does have to say is of interest, if only for revealing the petty infighting and blunders that have overshadowed what little research has been done on the Iceman.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Iceman, or how not to do researach, July 8, 2000

By 

Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier (Hardcover)

I originally bought the book hoping to learn something about the enigmatic, prehistoric mummy found by hikers in the Alps during the early 90s. When I started reading the book, I realized that it possessed a very chatty, narrative style not usually characteristic of the professional archaeologist and looked at the vita of the author. Seeing that Ms Fowler was a journalist, I rather clenched my teeth and prepared for a "readable" account of an archaeological discovery by an interested amateur. Much to my surprise, I found it a very skillfully written and researched expose on how not to do scientific research!! The story of Otzi the Iceman is a parable of our times. Science, enshrined in most of our minds as a clinical, abstract, and apolitical method of thinking and problem solving, is in fact a human activity. As such it is encumbered with all of the frailties attendant upon that condition. The Iceman reveals the political, professional, financial and personal pitfalls that a rare and unusual find of this type create for the individuals involved in its discovery, its preservation, its study and its display. The unfortunate man himself was probably never the focus of this much media and public attention in his entire lifetime. Certainly after his discovery none of the lives of those involved with his mortal remains would be the same again. The drama of the discovery is the center of Fowler's work, which questions the degree to which scientists as people can really be as divorced from the realities and pressures of life and as neutral in their perspectives as the discipline in theory demands. It certainly points out that there are differences in quality among various scientists, and that their personal motives can not be entirely ignored in evaluating the work they do. The book also points out the value of open communication between individual researchers and of peer review. It will be interesting to see if the discoverers of the Andean mummy, Jaunita, who are also mentioned in the book, will have learned from the mistakes of their predecessors.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Iceman the book also a fantastic find!, April 28, 2000

By 

Heather Lynch (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier (Hardcover)

Brenda Fowler's Iceman takes the reader on a beautifully described journey into the Austrian and Italian Alps where hikers unwittingly discover what could be, what SHOULD be, one of the most interesting sociological and scientific finds to date -- the 5300 year old mummified corpse of a man. Fowler is able to shed intriguing if glaring light on the unsavory combination of ego, politics, money and science. She gives readers an intimate portrait of the behind the scenes struggle to find a balance between preserving this historic find and uncovering meaningful information about him. Iceman reads more like a suspense novel than scientific text book and is captivating from page one. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a great story.