Product Details

• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000MWADG2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,224 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Watch as the story of Otzi the Iceman - first revealed in Discovery's Ultimate Guide: Iceman - takes a murderous turn. Discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991, the Stone Age body of Otzi is the oldest, best-preserved mummy on Earth. But the details of this cold case, frozen in time for eons, are only now beginning to thaw. Questions surrounding the arrowhead found lodged in Otzi's back lead to an investigation of the oldest, unsolved homicide in history. Just who was Otzi's killer? And, why was he murdered? Follow the trail to the snowy drifts where Otzi was found. Dr. Edward Egarter, Otzi's caretaker, along with Alois Pirpammer, one of the first people to discover the prehistoric mummy, scour the crime scene for clues. A crude knife is found at the site - a knife whose blade perfectly matches the long, deep wound found on Otzi's right hand. Could this be related to the attack from the bowman? Back at the lab, experts focus on the telling arrowhead embedded in Otzi's left shoulder. Special 3D scans made of Otzi's body give scientists an exact image of the stone weapon. By matching the characteristics of the arrowhead with archaeological records of similar weapons, Dr. Egarter is able to pinpoint the valley from which it originated - revealing that Otzi and his killer did not live far from each other. Further examination of the arrowhead removes suspicion of accidental death - the arrowhead's triangular shape matches those used by ancient, expert marksmen determined to make a sure kill. That, coupled with the killer's precise aim, proves one thing: This was no accident.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Otzi Revisited, December 22, 2007

By 

Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Iceman ~ Hunt for a Killer (DVD)

This work starts with the hypothesis, "Was 5,000 year-old Otzi killed by another?" Thus, the title is deceptive. Instead of being "Hunt for a Killer," it would have been more appropriately called "Details from a Victim." The work does say Otzi may have killed animals and people in his life. Still, I think the active, scary title is meant to grab viewers' attention more than a tragic or passive title.

Usually I hate cheesy reenactments. However, this work would have been boring if it were entirely made of the ice and rocks in the Alps. There are only two actors and they don't look like the modern people you'd see on "reality" TV. Plus, reenactments can be so darn anachronistic. (I've seen westerns meant to be from the 1800s where the women are dressed like Beyonc'e Knowles!) The reenactments weren't irritating.

The work had many different professionals here: scientists, historians, even archers. Though this is about science, it reminded me of algebra. Basically the narrators consistently states, "We know X and Y, so let's do something to find out Z." Also, this is a true crime story. People who are indifferent to history might still enjoy this case of Whodunnit.

I remember when Otzi was found that there was a big fight about whether Austrians or Italians owned him. This documentary stated that Otzi must have come from south of the Alps and thus Italy. They show Austrian and Italian experts and they don't fight over whose ancestor this is. Still, it was amusing seeing people who learned German first pronouncing the English "the" as if it sounded like the German "der."

The work starts by saying, "Otzi has been examined hundreds of times, but we now know that he had stab wounds on his body." Why wasn't that learned then!? Did people purposely want to think that an ancient man couldn't die violently? Did people want this ancient corpse not to be that of a victim? I remember clearly when Otzi was found that journalists kept writing "Did he have a wife and kids?" and activists kept responding, "How do we know that he wasn't celibate, polygamous, or had a male lover?" I wasn't planning on referencing Michel Foucault and discourse, but do modern hopes and expectations paint how we see this ancient man?

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, April 25, 2008

By 

E. Karasik (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Iceman ~ Hunt for a Killer (DVD)

Ever since Otzi was discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991, I have been fascinated with the lonely death of this 5,000-year-old human. While I found the breathless "whodunnit" tone of the narration a tad irritating, the content was entirely worthwhile. It is amazing how much has been learned from the remaining physical evidence. For instance, experimental anthropology, in which an arrow is shot into a side of pork covered with a hide to simulate Otzi's body, is used to learn from how far away he was shot. Modern forensic pathology and DNA analysis speak volumes about his cause of death and the involvement of other individuals. Traditional archaeology methods shed much light on the significance of the artifacts that were discovered on and around his person. The show does not mention his tattoos, which I had been curious about, but it does cover much ground not explored in previous articles and programs I had seen. While we do learn a great deal about the cause and likely circumstances of Otzi's death, the show raises as many questions as it answers, and Otzi continues for me to be an endlessly intriguing link to our past.