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Nerlich AG, Egarter Vigl E, Fleckinger A, Tauber M, Peschel O. [The Iceman : Life scenarios and pathological findings from 30 years of research on the glacier mummy "Ötzi"]. DER PATHOLOGE 2021; 42:530-539. [PMID: 34240239 DOI: 10.1007/s00292-021-00961-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The comprehensive investigation of the excellently preserved mummy of Ötzi, the Iceman, and his equipment over the last 30 years has provided a wealth of information about the life and disease of this late Neolithic individual. This research has indicated that his origin was from a local southern Alpine population, that he grew up in the valleys of the Southern Alps, and that he had considerable local mobility. He had well-balanced nutrition with a mixed vegetable and animal diet. He was very mobile in the alpine terrain and of athletic constitution. The Iceman suffered from mild to moderate degenerative joint disease primarily of the right hip joint, slight spondylosis of the cervical and lumbar spine, a minor focal (premature) arteriosclerosis, lung anthracosis and possibly silicosis, previous pleuritic inflammation (possibly of post-specific origin), intestinal infections of the stomach by Helicobacter pylori and Trichuris trichiura worm infestation in the intestines, a mild osteomalacia of cancellous bone, and diverse pathologies of his teeth with dental caries and periodontitis, as well as hair anomalies. The presence of borreliosis is still under debate. As potential remedies, the Iceman carried some anthelmintic substances with him: a birch polypore and an anthelmintic fern. The numerous tattoos may also have had therapeutic effects. Finally, the last days of Ötzi could be reconstructed quite precisely: his gastrointestinal content indicates that the Iceman moved from Alpine heights to a lower location and then again up to the glacier region where he died. During this journey he encountered two attacks: the first, several days before his death, lead to a stabbing wound in his right hand; the second was an arrow hit that wounded the Iceman lethally at his left axilla by laceration of the subclavian artery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas G Nerlich
- Institut für Pathologie, Klinikum Bogenhausen, München Klinik gGmbH, Englschalkingerstr. 77, 81925, München, Deutschland.
| | | | | | - Martina Tauber
- Betrieblicher Dienst für Pathologische Anatomie, Südtiroler Sanitätsbetrieb, Bozen, Italien
| | - Oliver Peschel
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Deutschland
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2
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Maixner F, Turaev D, Cazenave-Gassiot A, Janko M, Krause-Kyora B, Hoopmann MR, Kusebauch U, Sartain M, Guerriero G, O'Sullivan N, Teasdale M, Cipollini G, Paladin A, Mattiangeli V, Samadelli M, Tecchiati U, Putzer A, Palazoglu M, Meissen J, Lösch S, Rausch P, Baines JF, Kim BJ, An HJ, Gostner P, Egarter-Vigl E, Malfertheiner P, Keller A, Stark RW, Wenk M, Bishop D, Bradley DG, Fiehn O, Engstrand L, Moritz RL, Doble P, Franke A, Nebel A, Oeggl K, Rattei T, Grimm R, Zink A. The Iceman's Last Meal Consisted of Fat, Wild Meat, and Cereals. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2348-2355.e9. [PMID: 30017480 PMCID: PMC6065529 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.05.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The history of humankind is marked by the constant adoption of new dietary habits affecting human physiology, metabolism, and even the development of nutrition-related disorders. Despite clear archaeological evidence for the shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture in Neolithic Europe [1], very little information exists on the daily dietary habits of our ancestors. By undertaking a complementary -omics approach combined with microscopy, we analyzed the stomach content of the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old European glacier mummy [2, 3]. He seems to have had a remarkably high proportion of fat in his diet, supplemented with fresh or dried wild meat, cereals, and traces of toxic bracken. Our multipronged approach provides unprecedented analytical depth, deciphering the nutritional habit, meal composition, and food-processing methods of this Copper Age individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Maixner
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Dmitrij Turaev
- CUBE - Division of Computational Systems Biology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Amaury Cazenave-Gassiot
- SLING, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marek Janko
- Institute of Materials Science, Physics of Surfaces, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany; Center of Smart Interfaces, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ben Krause-Kyora
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Rosalind-Franklin-Str. 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael R Hoopmann
- Institute for Systems Biology, 401 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ulrike Kusebauch
- Institute for Systems Biology, 401 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mark Sartain
- Institute for Systems Biology, 401 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gea Guerriero
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Niall O'Sullivan
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Matthew Teasdale
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Giovanna Cipollini
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Alice Paladin
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Valeria Mattiangeli
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Marco Samadelli
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Umberto Tecchiati
- Responsabile del Laboratorio di Archeozoologia della Soprintendenza Provinciale ai Beni culturali di Bolzano - Alto Adige, Ufficio Beni archeologica, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Andreas Putzer
- South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Museumstrasse 43, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mine Palazoglu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology & Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - John Meissen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology & Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sandra Lösch
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Sulgenauweg 40, 3007 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Rausch
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Strasse 2, D-24306, Plön, Germany
| | - John F Baines
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Strasse 2, D-24306, Plön, Germany
| | - Bum Jin Kim
- Cancer Research Institute & Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Hyun-Joo An
- Cancer Research Institute & Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Paul Gostner
- Department of Radiodiagnostics, Central Hospital Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Eduard Egarter-Vigl
- Scuola Superiore Sanitaria Provinciale "Claudiana," Via Lorenz Böhler 13, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter Malfertheiner
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Keller
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Medical Faculty, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Robert W Stark
- Institute of Materials Science, Physics of Surfaces, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 2, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany; Center of Smart Interfaces, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Markus Wenk
- SLING, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - David Bishop
- Elemental Bio-imaging Facility, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, 2007, Australia
| | - Daniel G Bradley
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Oliver Fiehn
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology & Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lars Engstrand
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert L Moritz
- Institute for Systems Biology, 401 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Philip Doble
- Elemental Bio-imaging Facility, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, 2007, Australia
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Rosalind-Franklin-Str. 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Almut Nebel
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Rosalind-Franklin-Str. 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Klaus Oeggl
- Institute of Botany, Sternwartestrasse 15, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Rattei
- CUBE - Division of Computational Systems Biology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Grimm
- Agilent Technologies, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051, USA
| | - Albert Zink
- Eurac Research - Institute for Mummy Studies, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
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SATO T, SAITO Y, KOBAYASHI A, UETA I. Separation of Triglycerides in Oils and Fats by Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography and the Determination of the Fatty Acid Composition in Gas Chromatography. CHROMATOGRAPHY 2018. [DOI: 10.15583/jpchrom.2018.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya SATO
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Toyohashi University of Technology
| | - Yoshihiro SAITO
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Toyohashi University of Technology
| | - Akira KOBAYASHI
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Toyohashi University of Technology
| | - Ikuo UETA
- Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Yamanashi
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Ozcan S, Kim BJ, Ro G, Kim JH, Bereuter TL, Reiter C, Dimapasoc L, Garrido D, Mills DA, Grimm R, Lebrilla CB, An HJ. Glycosylated proteins preserved over millennia: N-glycan analysis of Tyrolean Iceman, Scythian Princess and Warrior. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4963. [PMID: 24831691 PMCID: PMC4894394 DOI: 10.1038/srep04963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
An improved understanding of glycosylation will provide new insights into many biological processes. In the analysis of oligosaccharides from biological samples, a strict regime is typically followed to ensure sample integrity. However, the fate of glycans that have been exposed to environmental conditions over millennia has not yet been investigated. This is also true for understanding the evolution of the glycosylation machinery in humans as well as in any other biological systems. In this study, we examined the glycosylation of tissue samples derived from four mummies which have been naturally preserved: – the 5,300 year old “Iceman called Oetzi”, found in the Tyrolean Alps; the 2,400 year old “Scythian warrior” and “Scythian Princess”, found in the Altai Mountains; and a 4 year old apartment mummy, found in Vienna/Austria. The number of N-glycans that were identified varied both with the age and the preservation status of the mummies. More glycan structures were discovered in the contemporary sample, as expected, however it is significant that glycan still exists in the ancient tissue samples. This discovery clearly shows that glycans persist for thousands of years, and these samples provide a vital insight into ancient glycosylation, offering us a window into the distant past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sureyya Ozcan
- 1] Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA [2] Cancer Research Institute & Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea [3]
| | - Bum Jin Kim
- 1] Cancer Research Institute & Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea [2]
| | - Grace Ro
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Jae-Han Kim
- Department of Food Nutrition, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Thomas L Bereuter
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Reiter
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lauren Dimapasoc
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | | | - David A Mills
- University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Rudolf Grimm
- 1] Cancer Research Institute & Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea [2] Agilent Technologies Inc., Santa Clara, California 95051, USA [3] Robert Mondavi Institute for Food Science, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA [4]
| | - Carlito B Lebrilla
- 1] Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA [2] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA [3]
| | - Hyun Joo An
- 1] Cancer Research Institute & Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea [2]
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Cersoy S, Richardin P, Walter P, Brunelle A. Cluster TOF-SIMS imaging of human skin remains: analysis of a South-Andean mummy sample. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2012; 47:338-346. [PMID: 22431460 DOI: 10.1002/jms.2979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A skin sample from a South-Andean mummy dating back from the XI(th) century was analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging using cluster primary ion beams (cluster-TOF-SIMS). For the first time on a mummy, skin dermis and epidermis could be chemically differentiated using mass spectrometry imaging. Differences in amino-acid composition between keratin and collagen, the two major proteins of skin tissue, could indeed be exploited. A surprising lipid composition of hypodermis was also revealed and seems to result from fatty acids damage by bacteria. Using cluster-TOF-SIMS imaging skills, traces of bio-mineralization could be identified at the micrometer scale, especially formation of calcium phosphate at the skin surface. Mineral deposits at the surface were characterized using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and mass spectrometry imaging. The stratigraphy of such a sample was revealed for the first time using this technique. More precise molecular maps were also recorded at higher spatial resolution, below 1 µm. This was achieved using a non-bunched mode of the primary ion source, while keeping intact the mass resolution thanks to a delayed extraction of the secondary ions. Details from biological structure as can be seen on SEM images are observable on chemical maps at this sub-micrometer scale. Thus, this work illustrates the interesting possibilities of chemical imaging by cluster-TOF-SIMS concerning ancient biological tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Cersoy
- Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF), Palais du Louvre, Porte des Lions, 14 quai François Mitterrand, 75001, Paris, France
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6
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Scorza FA, Cysneiros RM, Terra VC, Arida RM, Scorza CA, Cavalheiro EA. From Galapagos to the labs: Darwinian medicine and epilepsy today. Epilepsy Behav 2009; 16:388-90. [PMID: 19853516 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2009] [Revised: 09/04/2009] [Accepted: 09/06/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In 1991, a mummy frozen in ice was found by climbers in the Tyrolean Alps. Otzi the Iceman has since been studied in the light of evolutionary explanations for diseases. This year, which marks Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his publication On the Origin of Species, should re-ignite discussion of the importance of the correlation between nutritional diet and diseases. Epilepsy is one of the commonest diseases in the world. Individuals with epilepsy are at higher risk of death than the general population, and sudden unexpected death (SUDEP) is the most important direct epilepsy-related cause of death. A number of factors may influence the risk for SUDEP. Along these lines, several studies have demonstrated that polyunsaturated (omega-3) fatty acids may reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality, and diminish neuronal excitability. Also, omega-3 fatty acids may decrease seizure frequency, contributing to the reduction of SUDEP risk. Reconstruction of the nutritional patterns of Stone Age humans and optimal human nutrition in the present may be relevant to the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as epilepsy and the catastrophic evolution into epilepsy refractoriness and SUDEP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulvio A Scorza
- Disciplina de Neurologia Experimental, Universidade Federal de São Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil.
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Vane CH, Trick JK. Evidence of adipocere in a burial pit from the foot and mouth epidemic of 1967 using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Forensic Sci Int 2005; 154:19-23. [PMID: 16182945 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2004] [Accepted: 08/31/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to characterise the fatty acids from soils and associated tissues excavated from a 1967 Foot and Mouth burial pit. Subcutaneous fats were mainly comprised of 55-75% palmitic acid, 17-22% stearic acid and 3-16% oleic acid as well as 5-7% myristic acid. The distribution of fatty acids confirmed that the tissues were decayed to adipocere. The loss of oleic acid to <3% in two of the decayed fats suggested advanced stages of adipocere. However, adipocere formation was limited in a third tissue sample recovered from greater depth. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry of the pore waters revealed a decrease in Ca concentration and concurrent increase in Na concentrations this suggested that insoluble calcium salt had formed through displacement of sodium. The use of fatty acid profiles from soils and soil interstitial pore waters provide complementary evidence of adipocere formation in foot and mouth burial pits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Vane
- British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG125GG, UK.
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Varmuza K, Makristathis A, Schwarzmeier J, Seidler H, Mader RM. Exploration of anthropological specimens by GC-MS and chemometrics. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2005; 24:427-452. [PMID: 15389850 DOI: 10.1002/mas.20020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Anthropological specimens combine a variety of unfavorable characteristics, rendering their evaluation an analytical challenge. Their remarkable status is primarily based on two characteristics: (i) these very rare samples of human origin are testimonies of human history and are, therefore, available only in minute amounts for analytical purposes, and (ii) the analysis of these samples is extremely limited by the decomposition of molecules, which are easily detected in living organisms, such as nucleic acids and proteins, but are subject to rapid post-mortem decay. In this article, we review the methods and results of archaeometry, emphasizing the role of MS combined with chemometrics. Focusing on experimental results for fatty acid profiles, specimens from mummies from different civilizations were compared. Considering in particular the Tyrolean Iceman, the application of chemometric methods to GC-MS data recovers essential information about the preservation and the storage conditions of mummies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Varmuza
- Institute of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory for Chemometrics, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
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9
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A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the detection of adipocere in grave soils. EUR J LIPID SCI TECH 2003. [DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.200300819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Abstract
Recently, there have been some reports on the mummies from the medieval tombs in Korea, which were not made on purpose. Although these mummies could be an invaluable source for the studies on the physical state of medieval Koreans, there were not any reports on this subject until now. In this study, we first tried to investigate the various tissues using light- and electron-microscopic techniques. In the organs we have examined, even though the collagen fibers were profusely found within all of them, some types of cells, such as red blood cells, chondrocytes, hepatocyte and muscle cells, were also visible in various tissues. The histological characteristics of the current case seemed to be well matched with the previous study in general even though there were also somewhat different findings from the previous reports on the mummies. Although the cause of the mummification in Korea was not completely explained, we think that the cause in this case could be correlated with cultural aspects--not with natural conditions--because the mummies were only found in cases where the lime-soil barrier was maintained until their discovery, and which separated the inner space of the coffins from the outer space. As similar cases are frequently reported nowadays, invaluable data on the physical status of the medieval Koreans could be attainable if systemic investigation could be performed on similar cases which are found in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hoon Shin
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Yongon-Dong 28, Seoul 110-799, South Korea.
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Makristathis A, Schwarzmeier J, Mader RM, Varmuza K, Simonitsch I, Chavez JC, Platzer W, Unterdorfer H, Scheithauer R, Derevianko A, Seidler H. Fatty acid composition and preservation of the Tyrolean Iceman and other mummies. J Lipid Res 2002; 43:2056-61. [PMID: 12454266 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m100424-jlr200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In anthropology, objective parameters to adequately describe storage conditions and the preservation of mummies have yet to be identified. Considering that fatty acids degrade to stable products, we analysed their profile in human mummies and in control samples by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Originating from different epochs and civilizations, samples of the Tyrolean Iceman, other glacier corpses, a freeze dried mummy, corpses from a permafrost region, a corpse mummified immersed in water, and a desert mummy were evaluated. Chemometric analysis based on the concentrations of 16 fatty acids revealed the degree of similarity between anthropologic and fresh corpse samples, which was mainly influenced by the content of palmitic acid, oleic acid, and 10-hydroxystearic acid. The presence of 10-hydroxystearic acid was associated with immersion in water, whereas dry mummification was accompanied by high contents of oleic acid. Samples of the Tyrolean Iceman clustered between fresh tissue and those of other glacier corpses indicating the good preservation of this mummy. Thus, environmental post-mortem conditions were associated with characteristic fatty acid patterns suggesting that chemometric analysis of fatty acid contents may add to our knowledge about post-mortem storage conditions and the preservation of human corpses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Makristathis
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hygiene Institute, University of Vienna, Austria. Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Vienna, Austria
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12
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Abstract
Soil samples recovered from grave exhumations have been analysed in an attempt to identify and characterise adipocere contained in the samples. The soil samples were collected from different environments, including samples recovered from forensic grave sites. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to identify adipocere and characterise the fatty acid composition. X-ray diffraction was used to characterise the soil environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Forbes
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Forensic Science, University of Technology, Broadway P.O. Box 123, NSW 2007 Sydney, Australia
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Rollo F, Luciani S, Canapa A, Marota I. Analysis of bacterial DNA in skin and muscle of the Tyrolean iceman offers new insight into the mummification process. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2000; 111:211-9. [PMID: 10640948 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(200002)111:2<211::aid-ajpa7>3.0.co;2-m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
About 80 sequences (16s ribosomal RNA gene) of bacterial DNA in samples of skin and muscle taken directly from the Tyrolean iceman (3350-3100 years B.C.) or recovered during the 1992 archaeological expedition at the Alpine site were analyzed to obtain clues to the natural mummification process that allowed the corpse of the Neolithic shepherd/hunter to be preserved for more than 5,000 years. The investigation was made more complex by the fact that the surface of the mummy had been swabbed with phenol soon after the discovery (September 19, 1991). Our results show that no trace of microbial DNA is left on the actual surface of the body, while the untreated skin still bears the remains of large numbers of bacteria belonging to the genera Sphingomonas, Afipia, Curtobacterium, Microbacterium, Agromyces, and others. Compared to the untreated skin, the iceman's muscle is also very rich in bacterial DNA. However, this DNA comes, with few exceptions, from the species Clostridium algidicarnis. The sharp difference in the bacterial DNA composition of skin and muscle suggests that the remains of the original cadaveric microflora of the latter have not disappeared during the iceman's taphonomic history. On the other hand, the massive presence of C. algidicarnis, a cold-adapted sporigenous, the DNA of which was previously (Ubaldi et al. [1998] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 107:285-295) found in the soft tissue of a naturally desiccated Andean mummy, indicates that the hypothesis that the iceman's corpse underwent rapid dehydration by the effect of a warm wind (föhn) is no longer plausible. The results best fit with the hypothesis (Bereuter et al. [1997] Chem. Eur. J. 7:1032-1038) that the body was first covered by snow and ice, and then underwent thawing and, finally, desiccation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Rollo
- Dipartimento di Biologia Molecolare, Cellulare e Animale, Università di Camerino, I-62032, Camerino, Italy.
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Funada Y, Hirata Y. Development of a simulation program for the analysis of oils and fats by subcritical fluid chromatography. Anal Chim Acta 1999. [DOI: 10.1016/s0003-2670(99)00484-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Mayer BX, Zöllner P, Kählig H. Characterization of stationary phases for gas chromatography by 29Si NMR spectroscopy. J Chromatogr A 1999. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9673(99)00497-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Hess MW, Klima G, Pfaller K, Künzel KH, Gaber O. Histological investigations on the Tyrolean Ice Man. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 1998; 106:521-32. [PMID: 9712480 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199808)106:4<521::aid-ajpa7>3.0.co;2-l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The 5,200-year-old Tyrolean Ice Man discovered in 1991 in the Otztal Alps is the world's most ancient known human glacier mummy. Histological investigation was aimed at 1) optimizing specimen preparation and 2) documenting the preservation state of (sub)cellular components. Minute pieces of frozen tissue were removed endoscopically from rib bone and cartilage, major blood vessels, oral cavity and alimentary tract, liver, spleen, diaphragm, respiratory system, femoral muscle and nerve, sympathetic trunk, brain, and skin. Double fixation with glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide and embedding in Epon/Araldite epoxy resins proved to be the method of choice for both light and transmission electron microscopy combined with classical histochemistry. In particular, mild evacuation of the desiccated tissue was determined to be essential to ensure homogeneous infiltration with fixatives and resins; as a result, sections of excellent quality could be obtained with any kind of sample. With regard to the preservation degree of (sub)cellular components, distinct tissue-specific patterns were observed. There were highly intact skeletal and connective tissues proper, however, most interestingly, there were remarkably intact nervous tissue components as well. By contrast, epithelial, muscle, and reticular connective tissues as well as blood had generally disintegrated due to autolysis, freeze/thaw damage, and adipocere formation. For a tentative interpretation of these patterns, we considered general aspects of cryopreservation, such as physicochemical properties of subcellular constituents and tissue physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Hess
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
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Hess MW, Kirschning E, Pfaller K, Debbage PL, Hohenberg H, Klima G. 5000-year-old myelin: uniquely intact in molecular configuration and fine structure. Curr Biol 1998; 8:R512-3. [PMID: 9705943 DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(07)00334-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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