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

翻译人员: Jacky He 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

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

1991 年 9 月 19 日，两位徒步者 穿越奥地利与意大利

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

边境的奥扎尔阿尔卑斯山时 发现了一具冰中的尸体。

Researchers soon realized they weren’t looking at the victim

研究人员很快意识到 这不是最初认定的

of a recent climbing accident, as initially assumed,

近期登山事故的受害者，

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

而是来自 5,300 年前的僵化尸体，

who they came to call Ötzi the Iceman.

他们称之为冰人奥兹 (Ötzi the Iceman)。

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

对于奥兹的阿尔卑斯山之死的 早期理论是他是当地的牧羊人或猎人，

who got caught in bad weather and froze.

遭遇恶劣天气后冻死。

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

不过，一个惊人的发现 最终揭开了它的真正死因，

and upended his story.

彻底改写了他的故事。

So, what do we know about Ötzi?

那么，我们对奥兹了解多少？

And how did he die?

他是怎么死的？

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

千年以来，阿尔卑斯山脉的 极寒与日照使得奥兹的尸体

from decomposition, freezing and drying it out in cycles,

免于腐败，周而复始地 被冷冻、干燥，

and leaving critical clues for researchers.

并为研究者留下关键线索。

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

奥兹高约 1.6 米， 重约 50 千克，

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

死亡时在 40 到 50 岁之间。

He led an active life but had a strong genetic predisposition

他身体活跃， 但具有对心血管疾病的

for cardiovascular diseases.

高遗传风险。

His intestines were also parasitized by whipworms

他的小肠也遭鞭虫寄生，

and his stomach contained ulcer-causing bacteria,

胃里面包含引发溃疡的细菌；

all of which might have caused some unpleasant symptoms.

这些也许会产生不适症状。

He died hundreds of years before Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid

他在巨石阵和金字塔建造的 数百年前去世，

were constructed, around 3350 BCE.

在公元前 3350 年左右。

Ötzi lived during the late Neolithic Copper Age,

奥兹活在新红铜时代晚期，

when metal extraction and crafting practices

那时金属采集和锻造方法

were spreading throughout Eurasia.

传遍了欧亚大陆。

Indeed, along with stone arrowheads and knives,

除了石制箭头和刀具，

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

奥兹还携带了一把铜制斧头， 来自现今的托斯卡纳。

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

他大块的衣物由绵羊和山羊皮制成，

and his diet included cultivated grains,

他的食物包含栽培的谷物，

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

这些都表明奥兹的部族 依赖着圈养的动物

and crops.

与种植庄稼。

And when researchers inspected Ötzi’s skin

当研究人员用红外线及紫外线

with light ranging from infrared to UV,

检查奥兹的皮肤，

they found a total of 61 tattoos.

他们发现了总计 61 块纹身。

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

有趣的是，这些图案 位于使奥兹感到疼痛的

where he probably experienced pain,

身体部位，

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

如存在问题的膝盖、脚踝和脊椎。

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

研究人员认为纹身可能是治疗手段，

perhaps an early form of acupuncture.

也许是早期的针灸。

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

仔细观察澄清了奥兹的死因——

and led to a tantalizing prehistoric murder mystery.

产生了一个惊世骇俗的 史前谋杀案。

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

对奥兹的研究进行十年后， CT 检查显出了关键细节：

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

奥兹的左肩埋着一只燧石箭头。

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

很快地，研究人员 理清了奥兹死前的时光。

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

奥兹手上的深伤口才开始愈合，

and must have occurred just days before his death.

肯定是死亡前几天出现的。

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

很可能是防御性的伤痕， 这意味着奥兹遭到了

with a sharp blade but fought back and survived.

利刃袭击， 但反击后生存下来。

Ötzi may have dressed the wound with bog moss,

奥兹也许给伤口包上了沼泽苔藓，

which has antiseptic properties and was found with his remains.

它具有抗败血功效， 被发现在遗体旁边。

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

而奥兹消化道内 花粉的种类和位置

indicated that it was spring or early summer

表明这还是春天或初夏，

and that his last three days were hectic.

他的最后三天充满着混乱。

Ötzi seemed to be fleeing something.

奥兹似乎在躲避着什么。

About 33 hours before his death,

在他死亡大概 33 小时前，

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

奥兹在海拔 2,500 米左右，

near the timber line.

靠近林线。

Then, approximately 24 hours later,

大概 24 小时后，

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

他下降到最少海拔 1,200 米， 接近温带树林区。

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

在他死前几小时内， 奥兹到达约海拔 3,000 米，

where grasses, sedges, and certain wildflowers dominated.

那里满是草、莎草和野花。

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

他最后的餐食包括大份的 野山羊、狍子肉干和谷物。

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

之后，尽管他努力远离冲突，

someone at a distant vantage shot him from behind.

有人在后面远处的高地射中了他。

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

箭命中了一条主动脉， 埋在他左肩中，

causing extensive blood loss.

导致大出血。

Ötzi probably died soon after,

奥兹大概不久之后就死了，

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

他的遗体和随身物品 留在冰川中，千年未变。

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

这例 5,300 年的悬案 提供了关于早期历史无价的信息。

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

但奥兹究竟是谁以及他为何被杀

will probably never be solved—

大概永远是未知——

the tangible evidence for the act degraded and carried away,

当时的证据分崩离析，散落在别处，

lost to snow drifts long ago.

很久之前就在飞雪中流失了。