On Wed, 7 Aug 2002 03:38:31 EDT, Elizabeth Miller <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:


>>If I remember correctly, they found remnants of einkorn(ancient wheat?)
>>in his stomach.

>The ice man was Neolithic I believe (5300 years ago)--

Shurely neolithic (newer stone age), at the advent of metallurgy
(he even carried a metal axe which were seldom fount at the time)

>in fact, one thing I
>read suggested that he ate a mostly vegetarian diet.
>His last meal appeared
>to be bread.

Like any neolithic diet the staple was ancient wheat and lentils.
In his stomach was einkorn and a peace of meat from capricorn I think.

>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/icemummies/iceman.html</A>

As your site tells, bread of that time was not comparable with the
items which are nowadays labeled "bread". Full ground einkorn or emmer.
Vegetarian it was *not*. Vegetarians don't eat animals.
His diet was ased on grains but he did eat animals.
He also hunted and killed some animals.
He wore a bear-fur cap, a fur coat, fur leggins and underwear of soft goat
leather.
The bow (not ready made) is usefull for hunting but it may be that it was
meant as a weapon against humans.
Lately it has been found that he had a small stone arrowhead in his
shoulder!

>The most amazing thing about him was the existence of acupuncture punctures
>on his body a couple of thousand years before it had been thought to have
>been discovered in China. Apparently the marks showed a great deal of
>sophistication regarding meridians and the flow of chi.

I've seen the mummy at the museum in Bozen (Tirol, Italy part).
Amazing and strange are the tatoo-like acupunture lines at some places like
the knee.
For me it was most amazing to see all the items which he carried around.
In original! The real bow of yew tree and the arrows, the belt, the cap,
the box of beech bark he carried fire pieces around with.

>Also he carried a
>small  bag filled with herbs now known for their medicinal properties as
>well
>as a bag with dried berries.

He had one berry of sloe.
And strange mushrooms of probably medical purpose.

regards

Amadeus S.