Background

In 1991, a German couple chanced upon the frozen body of a middle-aged man while hiking in the Tyrolean Alps in Europe. Initially, Austrian authorities believed these remains to be the body of an unfortunate modern hiker. However, a closer look at the gear associated with the remains confirmed the unbelievable: the Ice Man, as he came to be called, was born around 3300 BCE and is the oldest fully preserved human body yet found. While the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, archaeologists do know that the Ice Man was not intentionally buried. While intentional human burials do offer a wealth of information to archaeologists, the artifacts found associated with the Ice Man are not from a ritual context. In other words, the Ice Man and his equipment represent a snapshot of everyday activity in the Neolithic and a chance for archaeologists to study what life was really like over 5000 years ago.

Your Project:

You work in an archaeology lab in northern Italy. The preserved body of a woman has just been located on a glacier in the Alps. Judging from the artifacts associated with her body, this Ice Woman appears to be just as old as the Ice Man and just as well preserved. The body was found lying in an extended position on a woven reed mat and a number of artifacts were found associated with her. Everyone is very excited and there is a lot of work to be done. The archaeologist in charge of this project is relying upon your assistance to interpret the remains.Here are some basic facts about the remains of this woman and the circumstances under which she was recovered:

List of Artifacts:

These items were found with the Ice Woman: Ceramic bowl, Stone goddess figurine, Leather cap, Copper axe head, Animal bone comb, Woven reed mat, Ground ochre pigment, Leather loincloth, Leather sandals.

The archaeologists who recovered the Ice Woman’s body uncovered evidence that the following events occurred at the find site:

–Glacier movement had scattered some of the artifacts associated with the body.

–A curious hiker pulled the copper axe head out of the ice before archaeologists arrived.

–A survey team unknowingly damaged the right side of the body while placing a geographic marker shortly after World War II.

–A particularly warm period in the mid-19th century resulted in the body’s left foot being partially exposed for a time. It is poorly preserved.Background

In 1991, a German couple chanced upon the frozen body of a middle-aged man while hiking in the Tyrolean Alps (see pp. 54–55) in Europe. Initially, Austrian authorities believed these remains to be the body of an unfortunate modern hiker. However, a closer look at the gear associated with the remains confirmed the unbelievable: the Ice Man, as he came to be called, was born around 3300 BCE and is the oldest fully preserved human body yet found.

While the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, archaeologists do know that the Ice Man was not intentionally buried. While intentional human burials do offer a wealth of information to archaeologists, the artifacts found associated with the Ice Man are not from a ritual context. In other words, the Ice Man and his equipment represent a snapshot of everyday activity in the Neolithic and a chance for archaeologists to study what life was really like over 5000 years ago.

Answer the following questions with several paragraphs for your post. Please post early in the online section to ensure you are able to have a thorough discussion with your colleagues.

Format: Be sure to label each of your responses according to the number of the question and write separate paragraphs for each answer. Please do not repeat the questions in your own answers. Proper format is essential for our online discussions and to earn full credit.

Content and Length: Your initial post should be several paragraphs long with details for each answer. Be sure to respond to all parts of each question in your own writing. Cite your sources using the APA style for in-text citations. All work must be your own. Answer the following questions with several paragraphs for your post. Please post early in the online section to ensure you are able to have a thorough discussion with your colleagues.

QUESTIONS FOR THE DISCUSSION POST

1. List of Artifacts: From the list of artifacts (above), which ones are made from organic materials and which ones from inorganic? Make two lists with the headings of “organic” and “inorganic.”

2. Cold Preservation: Looking at the two lists of artifacts you made, make a list of the artifacts found with the Ice Woman that are unlikely to have survived had they not been preserved in a cold environment. Explain your choices.

3. Formation Processes: To accurately reconstruct the history of the site of the Ice Woman, separate the events (listed above) into cultural formation processes and natural formation processes.

4. Context: What is context and why is it vital for understanding such artifacts as those found with ice bodies?

5. Interpretation: Based on the information recovered from the site and the associated artifacts, describe the circumstances (cultural practices and natural processes) which would explain the remains of the Ice Woman. Explain your reasoning for your interpretation.

6. Comparison: Compare the information you have about the Ice Woman to what you know about the Ice Man. How do the two artifact assemblages differ?

7. References: Provide full bibliographic information for all sources, including the textbook, following the APA style.

ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THE ICE MAN FOR THE DISCUSSION POST QUESTIONS ARE ON FILES

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