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

Prevodilac: Milan Ležaja Lektor: Milenka Okuka

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

Devetnaestog septembra 1991. godine, dva planinara na Ectalskim Alpima

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

na granici Austrije i Italije pronašla su leš koji je izvirivao iz leda.

Researchers soon realized they weren’t looking at the victim

Istraživači su ubrzo shvatili da u pitanju nije žrtva

of a recent climbing accident, as initially assumed,

skorašnje planinarske nesreće, kao što se prvobitno mislilo,

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

već mumificirano telo čoveka koji je živeo pre oko 5 300 godina,

who they came to call Ötzi the Iceman.

koga su nazvali Eci, ledeni čovek.

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

Jedna rana teorija za Ecijevu alpsku smrt je ta da je bio lokalni pastir ili lovac

who got caught in bad weather and froze.

kojeg je zahvatilo jako nevreme i zaledilo ga.

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

Međutim, šokantno otkriće vremenom je otkrilo pravi uzrok smrti

and upended his story.

i izokrenulo njegovu priču.

So, what do we know about Ötzi?

Dakle, šta znamo o Eciju?

And how did he die?

I kako je on umro?

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

Hiljadama godina, alpska hladnoća i sunce štitili su Ecijevo telo

from decomposition, freezing and drying it out in cycles,

od raspadanja, ledeći ga i topeći u ciklusima,

and leaving critical clues for researchers.

i ostavljajući ključne nagoveštaje istraživačima.

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

Eci je bio visok oko 160 centimetara, težak oko 50 kilograma

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

i imao je između 40 i 50 godina kada je umro.

He led an active life but had a strong genetic predisposition

Vodio je aktivan život, ali je imao jaku genetsku predispoziciju

for cardiovascular diseases.

za kardiovaskularne bolesti.

His intestines were also parasitized by whipworms

Takođe je imao bičaste crve kao parazite u crevima,

and his stomach contained ulcer-causing bacteria,

a u stomaku je imao bakterije sklone izazivanju čireva,

all of which might have caused some unpleasant symptoms.

i sve to je moglo izazvati neke neprijatne simptome.

He died hundreds of years before Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid

Umro je stotine godina pre nego što su Stounhendž i Velika piramida

were constructed, around 3350 BCE.

bili sagrađeni, oko 3350. godine p.n.e.

Ötzi lived during the late Neolithic Copper Age,

Eci je živeo u kasnom bakarnom dobu Neolita

when metal extraction and crafting practices

kada su ekstrakcija metala i izrada alata

were spreading throughout Eurasia.

počele da se šire Evroazijom.

Indeed, along with stone arrowheads and knives,

Zaista, uz kamene vrhove strela i noževe,

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

Eci je imao i bakarnu sekiru sa teritorije današnje Toskane.

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

Delovi njegove odeće bili su od ovčje i kozje kože,

and his diet included cultivated grains,

a ishrana mu je uključivala kultivisane žitarice,

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

što sve nagoveštava da se Ecijev narod oslanjao na određene domaće životinje

and crops.

i useve.

And when researchers inspected Ötzi’s skin

A kada su naučnici pregledali Ecijevu kožu

with light ranging from infrared to UV,

svetlima koja variraju od infracrvenih do ultraljubičastih

they found a total of 61 tattoos.

pronašli su ukupno 61 tetovažu.

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

Zanimljivo je da su se ta obeležja poklapala sa mestima na Ecijevom telu

where he probably experienced pain,

na kojima je verovatno pretrpeo bol,

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

kao, na primer, propadanje tkiva uočeno u njegovim kolenima, zglobovima i kičmi.

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

Naučnici smatraju da su tetovaže možda bile namenjene kao lečenje—

perhaps an early form of acupuncture.

verovatno kao rana verzija akupunkture.

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

Detaljno istraživanje je takođe razjasnilo okolnosti Ecijeve smrti—

and led to a tantalizing prehistoric murder mystery.

i dovelo do primamljive ideje o praistorijskoj misteriji ubistva.

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

Nakon decenije proučavanja Ecija, CT skener pronašao je ključan detalj:

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

u Ecijevom levom ramenu nalazio se kremen sa vrha strele.

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

Ubrzo zatim, naučnici su počeli zajedno da sklapaju priču o Ecijevoj smrti.

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

Duboka rana na Ecijevoj ruci pokazivala je početne znake zaceljivanja

and must have occurred just days before his death.

i sigurno je nastala samo nekoliko dana pre njegove smrti.

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

Verovatno je ranu zadobio u samoodbrani što je ukazivalo na to da je Eci napadnut

with a sharp blade but fought back and survived.

oštrim sečivom, ali je uzvratio i preživeo.

Ötzi may have dressed the wound with bog moss,

Moguće je da je Eci previo ranu močvarnom mahovinom,

which has antiseptic properties and was found with his remains.

koja je imala antisteptička svojstva i koja je pronađena sa njegovim ostacima.

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

Pritom, tipovi i poreklo polena pronađenog u Ecijevom probavnom traktu

indicated that it was spring or early summer

ukazivali su na to da je bilo proleće ili rano leto

and that his last three days were hectic.

i da su mu poslednja tri dana bila naporna.

Ötzi seemed to be fleeing something.

Delovalo je da je Eci bežao od nečega.

About 33 hours before his death,

Oko 33 sata pre njegove smrti,

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

Eci se nalazio na visini od oko 2 500 metara,

near the timber line.

blizu granice šume.

Then, approximately 24 hours later,

Zatim, približno 24 sata kasnije,

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

spustio se na barem 1 200 metara, do zone drveća tolerantnih na toplotu.

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

U svojim poslednjim satima, Eci se popeo na visinu od oko 3 000 metara

where grasses, sedges, and certain wildflowers dominated.

gde su dominirali trava, šaš i određeno divlje cveće.

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

Poslednji obrok mu je bila velika porcija osušenog kozoroga, srnetine i žitarica.

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

A onda, uprkos Ecijevim vidljivim naporima da izbegne konflikt,

someone at a distant vantage shot him from behind.

neko sa velike udaljenosti ga je pogodio otpozadi.

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

Strela je probila veliku arteriju i uglavila mu se u levo rame,

causing extensive blood loss.

i dovela je do prekomernog gubitka krvi.

Ötzi probably died soon after,

Eci je verovatno umro ubrzo nakon toga,

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

a njegovi ostaci i oprema ostali su netaknuti u glečeru hiljadama godina.

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

Ovaj zastareli slučaj od pre 5 300 godina pruža neprocenjiv uvid u daleku prošlost.

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

Međutim, misterija o tome ko je tačno bio Eci i zašto je ubijen

will probably never be solved—

verovatno nikada neće biti rešena—

the tangible evidence for the act degraded and carried away,

konkretni dokazi ovog čina su degradirani i odnešeni,

lost to snow drifts long ago.

davno izgubljeni pod snežnim nanosima.