Talk:Ötzi

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Adipocere

A picture of the Ötzi replica is shown at Adipocere. Can you confirm that this is the process that happened to the corpse? Can you discuss the post-death chemical changes leading to conservation? -- Error (talk) 21:23, 12 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

According to this 1997 article in The Lancet and p.268 of Iceman by Fowler (2000), yes there is adipocere formation. According to Fowler's book, his body was lying in a ditch of water for a period of time (months) during which adipocere formed. His body was later dessicated by the ice. These three chapters go into more detail about the chemical analysis used to determine the presence of adipocere, and comparison with similar alpine bodies. Merytat3n (talk) 10:18, 13 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]