A 5,300-year-old murder mystery - Albert Zink

Translator: Elyonai Krist Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

On September 19th, 1991, two hikers traversing the Ötzal Alps

Pada tanggal 19 September 1991, dua pendaki melintasi Ötzal Alps

on the border of Austria and Italy discovered a corpse emerging from the ice.

di perbatasan Austria dan Italia ditemukan mayat yang muncul dari es.

Researchers soon realized they weren’t looking at the victim

Para peneliti menyadari bahwa itu bukan korban kecelakaan pendakian baru-baru ini

of a recent climbing accident, as initially assumed,

sebagaimana dugaan awal,

but the mummified body of a man who’d lived about 5,300 years ago,

tetapi tubuh mumi seorang pria yang hidup sekitar 5.300 tahun yang lalu,

who they came to call Ötzi the Iceman.

yang mereka sebut Ötzi si manusia es.

One early theory for Ötzi’s alpine death was that he was a local shepherd or hunter

Sebuah teori awal kematian Ötzi adalah dia gembala setempat atau pemburu

who got caught in bad weather and froze.

yang terjebak cuaca buruk dan membeku.

However, a shocking discovery eventually revealed his true cause of death

Namun, sebuah penemuan mengejutkan akhirnya mengungkap penyebab kematiannya

and upended his story.

dan mengubah ceritanya.

So, what do we know about Ötzi?

Jadi, apa yang kita tahu tentang Ötzi?

And how did he die?

Dan bagaimana dia meninggal?

Over the millennia, the Alpine cold and sun protected Ötzi’s body

Selama ribuan tahun, dinginnya Alpen dan matahari melindungi tubuh Ötzi

from decomposition, freezing and drying it out in cycles,

dari dekomposisi, membekukan dan mengeringkannya berulang-ulang,

and leaving critical clues for researchers.

dan meninggalkan petunjuk penting untuk peneliti.

Ötzi was about 160 centimeters tall, weighed some 50 kilograms,

Tinggi badan Ötzi sekitar 160 cm, dan beratnya sekitar 50 kg,

and died between 40- and 50-years-old.

dan meninggal saat berusia antara 40 - 50 tahun.

He led an active life but had a strong genetic predisposition

Dia menjalani kehidupan yang aktif, tetapi memiliki kecenderungan genetik

for cardiovascular diseases.

penyakit kardiovaskular.

His intestines were also parasitized by whipworms

Ususnya juga terkena parasit cacing cambuk

and his stomach contained ulcer-causing bacteria,

dan perutnya terisi bakteri penyebab maag,

all of which might have caused some unpleasant symptoms.

semua itu mungkin menyebabkan beberapa gejala yang tidak menyenangkan.

He died hundreds of years before Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid

Dia meninggal ratusan tahun sebelum Stonehenge dan Piramida Besar dibangun,

were constructed, around 3350 BCE.

sekitar 3.350 SM.

Ötzi lived during the late Neolithic Copper Age,

Ötzi hidup di akhir zaman Zaman Tembaga Neolitik,

when metal extraction and crafting practices

saat ekstraksi logam dan praktik kerajinan

were spreading throughout Eurasia.

menyebar ke seluruh Eurasia.

Indeed, along with stone arrowheads and knives,

Bahkan, selain mata panah dari batu dan pisau,

Ötzi carried an axe made of copper from what is now Tuscany.

Ötzi juga membawa kapak dari tembaga dari tempat yang sekarang disebut Toskana.

Swaths of his clothing were made of sheep and goat leather,

Sabuk pakaiannya dibuat dari kulit domba dan kambing,

and his diet included cultivated grains,

dan makanannya dari budidaya biji-bijian,

all of which suggested that Ötzi’s people relied on certain domesticated animals

menunjukkan bahwa kehidupan masyarakat Ötzi mengandalkan hewan peliharaan

and crops.

dan tanaman tertentu.

And when researchers inspected Ötzi’s skin

Dan ketika peneliti memeriksa kulit Ötzi

with light ranging from infrared to UV,

dengan rentang cahaya dari inframerah ke UV,

they found a total of 61 tattoos.

mereka menemukan 61 tato.

Interestingly, the markings corresponded with areas of Ötzi’s body

Menariknya, tanda-tanda itu sesuai dengan area tubuh Ötzi

where he probably experienced pain,

di mana dia mungkin mengalami rasa sakit,

like from degeneration observed in his knees, ankles, and spine.

seperti degenerasi di lutut, pergelangan kaki, dan tulang belakang.

Researchers think that the tattoos might have been intended as treatment—

Peneliti menduga bahwa tato tersebut boleh jadi dimaksudkan sebagai pengobatan—

perhaps an early form of acupuncture.

mungkin bentuk awal dari akupunktur.

Close scrutiny also clarified the circumstances of Ötzi’s death—

Penyelidikan ketat juga mengklarifikasi kondisi kematian Ötzi—

and led to a tantalizing prehistoric murder mystery.

dan mengungkap misteri pembunuhan prasejarah yang memukau.

A decade into studying Ötzi, a CT scan picked up a crucial detail:

Setelah satu dekade mempelajari Ötzi, sebuah CT scan menemukan detail penting:

there was a flint arrowhead lodged in Ötzi’s left shoulder.

ada mata panah batu bersarang di bahu kiri Ötzi.

Soon enough, researchers started piecing Ötzi’s final days together.

Tak lama, para peneliti mulai menyatukan kepingan hari-hari terakhir Ötzi.

A deep cut wound on Ötzi’s hand showed initial signs of healing

Luka sayatan di tangan Ötzi menunjukkan tanda-tanda awal penyembuhan

and must have occurred just days before his death.

dan pasti telah terjadi beberapa hari sebelum kematiannya.

It was likely a defensive wound which indicated that Ötzi was attacked

Itu mungkin luka pertahanan yang menandakan bahwa Ötzi diserang

with a sharp blade but fought back and survived.

dengan pisau tajam tetapi melawan dan bertahan.

Ötzi may have dressed the wound with bog moss,

Ötzi mungkin merawat luka tersebut dengan lumut rawa,

which has antiseptic properties and was found with his remains.

yang memiliki sifat antiseptik dan ditemukan bersama jenazahnya.

Meanwhile, the types and location of pollen in Ötzi’s digestive tract

Sedangkan jenis dan letak serbuk sari di saluran pencernaan Ötzi

indicated that it was spring or early summer

menunjukkan saat itu adalah musim semi atau awal musim panas

and that his last three days were hectic.

dan tiga hari terakhirnya sangat sibuk.

Ötzi seemed to be fleeing something.

Ötzi sepertinya melarikan diri.

About 33 hours before his death,

Sekitar 33 jam sebelum kematiannya,

Ötzi was at an altitude of around 2,500 meters,

Ötzi berada di ketinggian sekitar 2.500 meter,

near the timber line.

dekat batas vegetasi.

Then, approximately 24 hours later,

Kemudian, sekitar 24 jam kemudian,

he descended to at least 1,200 meters, to a zone of warmth-loving trees.

dia turun setidaknya 1.200 meter, ke zona pepohonan yang menyukai panas.

In his final hours, Ötzi reached an altitude of around 3,000 meters

Di jam-jam terakhirnya, Ötzi mencapai ketinggian sekitar 3.000 meter

where grasses, sedges, and certain wildflowers dominated.

di mana rerumputan, alang-alang, dan bunga liar tertentu mendominasi.

His last meal included a large helping of dried wild ibex, roe deer, and grains.

Makanan terakhirnya antara lain ibex liar kering, rusa roe, dan biji-bijian.

Then, despite Ötzi’s apparent efforts to escape the conflict,

Kemudian, terlepas dari upaya Ötzi untuk menghindari konflik,

someone at a distant vantage shot him from behind.

seseorang dari jarak jauh menembaknya dari belakang.

The arrow pierced a major artery and embedded itself in his left shoulder,

Panah itu menembus arteri utama dan menancap di bahu kirinya,

causing extensive blood loss.

menyebabkannya kehilangan banyak darah.

Ötzi probably died soon after,

Tak lama kemudian, Ötzi meninggal,

his remains and all his belongings left undisturbed in the glacier for millennia.

jenazahnya dan semua hartanya tertinggal di gletser selama ribuan tahun.

This 5,300-year-old cold case has offered invaluable glimpses into the distant past.

Kasus lama berusia 5.300 tahun ini menjadi informasi sejarah berharga.

But the mystery of who exactly Ötzi was and why he was killed

Namun, misteri siapa sebenarnya Ötzi dan mengapa dia dibunuh

will probably never be solved—

mungkin tidak akan pernah terpecahkan—

the tangible evidence for the act degraded and carried away,

bukti nyata atas perbuatan itu telah hancur dan hanyut,

lost to snow drifts long ago.

melayang bersama salju di masa lalu.