What’s the difference between a person, an artifact, and an ecosystem?
Please don’t lick the science
What’s the difference between a person, an artifact, and an ecosystem?
Sarhan holds up a Petri dish of yeast cultured from Ötzi's stomach.
Sarhan et al. 2026
Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s most famous mummy, is crawling with microbes, some long dead, some still eking out a living after thousands of years, and some very modern.
5,300-year-old Ötzi mummy still “alive”? Scientists discover active microbes inside
Ötzi the Iceman's Microbes Still Show Signs of Life After 5,300 Years
Ötzi's frozen remains may harbour metabolically active microbes
There’s something still living inside Ötzi the Iceman
Ötzi the Iceman: Ancient microbes are dormant but alive thousands of years after mummy’s death | CNN
The Iceman’s Microbiome
5,300 years after his death, Ötzi the murdered Iceman’s microbiome is still active
Scientists make BREAD using yeast from Otzi the Iceman's mummy
Scientists baked sourdough using 5,300-year-old yeast from a frozen mummy and it actually fermented
5300-year-old Europe’s oldest mummy may be ‘alive’: Scientists reveal shocking microbial activity
Scientists have made a startling discovery about Ötzi the Iceman. Microscopic life within his ancient body is still active. These…
New research provides a deep dive into the ancient and modern day microbes that call Ötzi home.
Researchers studying a 5300-year-old mummified man have identified bacteria that lived in his gut when he was alive, as well as…
Mummified 5,300-year-old body is actually host to a dynamic ecosystem, researchers say
The remains of Ötzi the Iceman, who died 5,300 years ago, contain ancient microbes that are still alive, new research finds.
The Iceman’s Microbiome: Ötzi commensal microorganisms included a surprisingly cold-tolerant yeast
