A view of the streets of Bolzano
Today we ventured to Bolzano, Italy. We paid a visit to see Ötzi, the iceman that was found in the Alps on the Italian side of the alpine border between Italy and Austria. He had been preserved in the glacier for about 5,000 years. The museum where he was kept was very thorough, providing so many interesting facts about Ötzi’s life and mummification process. We were very amazed at how much the scientists and researchers were able to learn about Ötzis life from only DNA analysis and varying archaeological tests. It was exciting to learn about how scientists can uncover so much information about the past through creative and innovative problem solving methods.
The model of what scientists believe Ötzi looked like
Not only was Ötzi on display for everyone to see, but the objects surrounding him in the site where he was found were also shown. It was fascinating how many tests and experiments scientists conducted on these items to understand their utility during Ötzi’s life. They also knew so much about how he died and we were interested at how many different kinds of professionals were used in the journey to uncovering the mystery of Ötzi. Medical examiners and other professionals were able to determine his legit cause of death and a rough estimate of what he was experiencing in his last moments, such as what he last ate and health problems that he had experienced in the few months before his death. Professionals have determined that Ötzi was murdered. He was caught in a surprise attack. The motives and perpetrator are unknown.
After the museum, the group dined at an adorable Italian restaurant. We all ordered individual pizzas and made sure that everyone could be a member of the clean-plate-club once we were finished. From here, the group split off into small groups to explore the city. A few members went to check out a Mountain Museum, while others wandered the streets, searching for Italian gelato and popping in and out of stores. Other activities that people found in Bolzano included visiting historic churches with beautiful architecture and cooling off by wading in a river nearby. Everyone joined together again for a group dinner. We enjoyed appetizers and chatted about our experiences throughout the day before grabbing more gelato and hopping on the train back to Innsbruck.
A couple of the pizzas enjoyed by the group at lunch