| Dr. Kestner: European murder mystery reveals clues to acupuncture origins |
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Posted: Sunday, August 2, 2009 8:15 am
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At first it was a case of unknown identity. Adventurous trekkers journeying through the snow-covered Italian Alps had chanced upon something that seemed out of place. Upon further investigation, it appeared to be the remains of a human, nearly completely covered by accumulated layers of compacted snow. Only a portion of the body had been revealed by a recent thaw. He must have laid there for some time, maybe years.
The trekkers notified authorities and a recovery effort began. As the body was being delivered up from the encasement of its icy grave, it was discovered that this was not an ordinary recovery mission at all. The body was mummified… essentially freeze dried. Further investigation would reveal that the corpse was ancient beyond imagination.
Once it was determined that the discovery was not an elaborate hoax, members of the scientific community from throughout the world swarmed to view the remains. The Internet buzzed with excited debate among researchers as to what the discovery would unveil. Ultimately, testing revealed that the body was not hundreds of years old, but thousands!
This frozen, desiccated human corpse was the discovery that anthropological seekers had hoped and dreamed about throughout their lives. Amazingly, not only were the remains of the human nearly perfectly preserved, so were the goatskin garments that he wore, the tools and weapons that he carried, and even seeds, bits of plants and pollen that were clinging to his body and the contents of his stomach and intestines.
The man was soon nicknamed Otzi (or Oetzi), the name of the mountainous region in which he was discovered. Further research determined that he had lain entombed in this natural cryogenic environment for at least 5,000 years. The fact that his remains and so many clues to his life had been so perfectly preserved has been celebrated around the world by anyone with any scientific interest or even idle curiosity about ancient mankind.
As the investigation into the remains of Otzi continued, it soon became apparent that he had died from two penetrating wounds. The case of the unknown identity now had elements of a homicide investigation. Who killed Otzi and why?
Speculation began circulating. An arrowhead found in the body confirmed the cause of at least one of the wounds. It was later determined that the arrow wound had not killed him right away. He would have lived for possibly days after receiving the wound. Had he been hunted by warring families or tribes? Had he been murdered by an individual? The other wound turned out to be more deadly. It was almost as if the arrow wound had nearly felled him but he continued to run and was pursued by his killer and murdered at close range. Yet, his belongings were not taken. The mystery deepened.
Aside from the personal life mysteries surrounding Otzi, there are countless questions about how people lived during this time. Examination of his belongings unveiled tools and items that were thought to have been invented much later in time. It is apparent that ancient people had intelligence similar to (and perhaps superior to some) humankind today.
Further investigation revealed that Otzi had more than 50 tattoos! They were clearly markings (crosses, parallel lines and dots) that had been created intentionally by imbedding some sort of dark minerals into the dermis at specific locations. Recent news accounts revealed that scientific testing has determined the actual minerals that were used. It is speculated that Otzi had been tattooed by carefully injecting the selected minerals, probably from a fire’s ashes, into his skin with some sort of instrument, perhaps as rudimentary as a thorn.
One observer noted that many of the markings would have been covered; therefore it was unlikely that Otzi had the tattoos purely for adornment. If not for the purpose of decorating himself, why would he have undergone the procedure only to have the tattoos remain unseen by others?
You’ll be amazed by the theories that have been proposed. One plausible explanation hints at the origins of an acupuncture treatment that could help you! I’ll tell you more next week!
Dr. Mark Kestner
mkestner@DrKestner.com
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